KVLU 91.3, Lamar University’s public radio station, will host its fall fundraising campaign, Nov. 3-11. The theme of the campaign is “An Enduring Legacy in Southeast Texas.”
The campaign is dedicated to Al Dugan, one of the founding members of KVLU in 1974 and a longtime host and supporter.
The campaign also includes a fall giveaway, a print of Cattail Marsh by photographer Cathy Spence.
“KVLU is a nonprofit, so we are funded by primarily three sources,” Shannon Harris, development director, said.
Harris said the station receives support from Lamar University, as well as grants and underwriters that support programs.
“But, the third part that is really vitally important, we are funded by our listeners,” Harris said.
KVLU hosts a fall and spring campaign, along with various other fundraisers.
“We come to our audience two to three times a year and ask for their support,” Harris said. “We’ll be on the air in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening to make the case for public radio.”
This financial support helps to pay for NPR packages and programming, which are the station’s programs with the most listeners.
“This year, it’s particularly important because we lost our funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, so we need to make up the shortfall,” Harris said. “The grant from the (CPB) was $98,000, so that’s a big chunk there that we’re adjusting to.”
CPB was funded by the federal government, but has been excluded from the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for the first time in over 50 years.
On Aug. 1, the CPB announced that they would begin an orderly wind-down of operations, and only a small transition team would be left to close out operations, according to spb.org.
“Just in terms of funding, (the CPB cuts) put us in a very vulnerable position,” Harris said. “I will say that we had a tremendous response to our summer campaign, and our pre-campaign response has been really great for this fall campaign also. So, I think our listeners are informed about what has happened, and they know the value of KVLU and public radio in general.”
Memberships begin at a recommended $20 a month, and listeners can also volunteer.
“We can always use phone volunteers during our major campaigns, and you would contact Alicia at the business line if you would like to sign up to answer phones,” she said.
“Another thing people can do is, if you’re a supporter of KVLU or a listener, share it with people you know. Share with them the value of public radio and the importance.”
To donate, visit kvlu.org and click the “Give Now” button. Donors can choose between a one-time donation or sustaining membership, and LU employees can sign up for payroll deductions by submitting a form to HR.
Donations during the campaign may be made by calling 409-880-8164.