GBH’s Managing Director of Membership Kiersten Bergeron is something like a modern day switchboard operator. She may not be pulling plugs and flipping switches on a byzantine board all day, but she bridges critical gaps for GBH and its member community, connecting people and amplifying lines of communication. A veteran of political campaigns and nonprofits, Bergeron has always been drawn to mission-driven work. Nearly a year into her role stewarding and building out GBH’s membership base, Bergeron is right where she needs to be.
We sat down with Bergeron to talk shop, how her experience on political campaigns informs her work at GBH, and how she hopes to drive membership and engagement for the Fund the Future campaign.
What brought you to GBH, and this role as Managing Director of Membership, specifically?
My background’s in mission-driven work. Working with nonprofits and in political campaigns more broadly, everything has always been about the power of community engagement. When I saw the job posting, I was drawn to the opportunity to grow and innovate with the team and the membership program. GBH plays such an important part in informing and inspiring people. It felt like the perfect fit.
What’s one word to describe your job?
A connector. Communication and the ability to connect people are so central to what I do. It’s all about building bridges between GBH and its members, aligning the individual with the bigger mission of public media. It lends itself to communications, which I really enjoy.
What do you find rewarding about your work?
Our members. We get so many notes during pledge drives, feedback via email, and over the phone. And they’re all so inspiring. It reminds you how many people GBH touches, whether it’s a program that’s taught someone to read, or love science, or a story that resonated with them. All of those moments make it rewarding, and that back-and-forth communication helps you feel the impact more deeply.
Does your role skew more towards thanking existing members or recruiting new ones?
I think it’s both. There needs to be a good balance of stewardship, solicitation, and support. Thanking people for their support is, I think, a big part of what retains people and keeps them invested in the mission.
You’ve got experience working on political campaigns and for political nonprofits. How does that inform your work with GBH Membership?
During my time working on political campaigns, I saw a shift when we started communicating digitally, building these grassroots digital fundraising programs to drive a more relationship-oriented operation. I’m using a lot of what I learned working with political campaigns — creating urgency, using creative outreach approaches to connect with new demographics and audiences. I think that is what I’ve taken from my past and been trying to foster here.
There’s still plenty of differences between what [campaigns] do and what our approach looks like at GBH. They’re more focused on rapid engagement to meet short-term goals, whereas for us it’s a marathon. We’re building long-term connections.
What are some of the challenges you face trying to widen the membership?
There are so many people who love and engage with GBH, but haven’t thought about supporting us yet. Some might not even know they’re interacting with GBH! So part of our job is showing them just how much value we’re adding to their lives every day, using creative approaches and messaging to speak to various audiences and demographics.
For so long we’ve been speaking to our long-time members and supporters — which is so important to continue to do — but we need to reframe our messaging for a younger demographic to show GBH’s value. I’m excited to experiment and build new in-roads.
How would you describe the average GBH member?
To be a member is to really value public media and to feel invested in it. Our members like to learn, dig deeper, explore new ideas, and connect the dots. I also envision someone who’s really into arts and culture and sees how GBH connects with their lives more broadly. I think about someone who cares about their community and wants to support local institutions that make the world more informed and connected.
What role do you think members have to play in the Fund the Future Campaign?
They’re not just donors, they’re also stewards of public media in their communities, spreading the word, and encouraging friends and family to join. That “field game” is what creates grassroots energy. It’s about making sure your community feels engaged in your mission and what you’re trying to do. Members are the heart of that community, and they’re the foundation moving us to bigger and better things.
GBH recently launched a Gift Membership program. Can you talk about that?
A lot of membership-based nonprofits do gift membership. It’s a great way for current members to share something meaningful with the people they care about. They’re inviting their friends and families to be part of the community and contribute to public media during this time. It’s a wonderful stewardship opportunity for them to feel more invested in the work, and also help grow our base of support.
But it’s also an example of the creative ways we can focus on new acquisition strategies that demonstrate the actual, tangible value you can get from a GBH membership. Passport is a big part of it, as are the events and perks, but it’s just a great introduction to the value that comes along with GBH Membership that folks might not be aware of.
Speaking of member acquisition, what’s your strategy for the campaign?
It’s super collaborative across different departments. Specifically, membership, development and marketing/communications. It’s allowing us to work really closely together.
We’ll be way more focused on acquisition moving into 2026. We’ll shift focus to building that base of support, that movement and momentum, and acquisition is such a big piece of that.
The most important piece of it, though, will be the multi-channel approach in terms of attracting a younger demographic, while obviously continuing to optimize our traditional channels for our loyal supporters. Using these newer, digital channels such as TikTok and YouTube, we’ll aim to draw a demographic that isn’t currently supporting us in the way they could be.
What’s your vision for GBH Membership on the other side of this campaign?
A broader, more engaged membership base that reflects the wide audience we know is out there, and a fuller scope of people who are impacted by and benefit from public media.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee. Tea in the afternoon.
What are you watching and reading right now?
I just finished the new Stranger Things, Volume 1. And then I’m reading The Women by Kristen Hannah. It’s a historical-fiction novel following a woman who enlists as a nurse in the Vietnam War, and more broadly capturing women’s contributions and experiences during that time.
When you’re not working, what can we find you doing?
I like to be outside. I have two boys, an almost 7-year-old and a 4-year-old, so they keep me fairly busy. You can find us playing outside, doing something active. If I’m not outdoors, I’m inside at a concert. I love live music, so you’ll often find me at one of the many venues around Boston!
If you’re interested in GBH’s Gift Membership program, you can read more about it here.
