The Board of Directors of the Nine Network of Public Media initiated the public launch of a $25 million campaign to build the organization’s capacity for the future at an event recognizing KETC founders Raymond H. Wittcoff and Arthur Baer as well as longtime major donors.
The campaign, called “Igniting the Spirit of Possibility,” is chaired by
Emerson Vice President Patrick Sly, secretary of the Nine Network Board.
Gifts and commitments to the campaign now total $13,087,337. In announcing the public phase of the campaign Patrick Sly announced a lead gift from Emerson of $1.5 million.
Additional lead gifts include a $1 million commitment from the Dana Brown Charitable Trust and two anonymous gifts of $1 million each. In addition, the campaign has received 10 gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations in excess of $100,000 and 40 gifts from individuals in excess of $10,000.
“Our Igniting the Spirit of Possibility campaign will provide the funds that enable us to achieve the bold future we envision. This is a critical juncture in our history. We are in a new era in public media, and the Nine Network is leading the way, not only for our region, but for our country,” said Sly.
Jack Galmiche, president and CEO of the Nine Network, announced that the campaign has received commitments from 100 percent of the Nine Network Board of Directors, from members of the organization’s Legacy Nine planned giving society, and from the staff of the Nine Network.
“Our founders helped create educational television across the country, and for nearly six decades the St. Louis community has supported our achievements as a national leader in viewership, engagement, civic discourse and production. Our story is a community story. Now, as four St. Louis public media organizations come together in Grand Center, we have the opportunity to create one of the nation’s most unique public media environments and a dynamic Public Media Commons that will be an asset to our city,” said Galmiche.
There are five components to the Nine Network Igniting the Spirit of
Possibility campaign: Annual Fund, Future Fund, Venture Fund, a Capital Improvement and Technical Capacity Fund and a Public Media Commons Fund.
Visit nineNet.org/ignitingthespiritcampaign for detailed information.