About Our Leadership Circle
Our Leadership Circle members are our most generous annual contributors. They are passionate about Connecticut Public and our vision to be an essential source for truth and ideas that connects the citizens of Connecticut to their communities and to the world.
Leadership Circle Success Stories
Giving Pledge Added Power: Matching Funds
Recognizing the power of pledge support requires a sophisticated understanding of the needs of the institution and the donor. Offering matching dollars one-for -one during pledge drives for Radio and Television is a powerful fundraising strategy. It is particularly helpful in increasing new membership, as new supporters like knowing their support was matched with additional funds. It’s a Win-Win for all.
Thanks to the following donors that support this very important fundraising effort.
- Joe Zimmel/ Zimmel Family Fund
- Hilaria and Alec Baldwin/ The Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Family Foundation
- Joanne Starr/ In memory of her late husband, Richard Starr
- Amy and David Jaffe of Guilford
New Technology for the Newest Public Media Professionals
Having more interns is great. Not having enough equipment for them to produce and edit news … not so great!
Our mission's educational component actively prepares the next generation of public media professionals. With expanded internship programs, new equipment is required. Thankfully, our generous Leadership donors understand the importance of providing students with the latest technology. Special thanks to:
- The John G. Martin Foundation
- The Harry E. Goldfarb Family Foundation
- The Ellen Jeanne Goldfarb Charitable Trust
Endowment Funds Internships….Forever
Long-time donor Larry Lunden was thinking about how to help fund the ongoing need for interns in our Hartford newsroom. After 36 years of support, he knew public media’s mission includes engaging and educating the next generation. We asked him, "What would be meaningful for you to fund that would have a long-term effect?” He answered, "How about an internship forever?”
The Larry Lunden WNPR Intern became an endowed position with Larry’s $100K gift. It produces annual income that pays for an intern each Fall and Spring to learn the craft of journalism.
Looking forward to today’s interns producing the news of tomorrow. Thank you, Larry!
Free Memberships for College Students
Access to public media is an essential way to gather unbiased news and programming about local, state and national news. At Gateway Community College, where we recently opened a new radio studio, committed donors funded FREE memberships for every student and faculty for one year.
Deep thanks to Bob Jaeger and the Mfund, both of Guilford, for recognizing the value of a membership to a student's education and future.
New Radio Station – Fully Donor Funded
On February 14, 2018, we opened a new Connecticut Public Radio studio on the campus of Gateway Community College (GCC), literally one year after the idea was proposed by Mary Ellen Cody, Dean of Development and Community Partnerships for GCC. After touring the proposed spaces and looking into the costs and benefits, the partnership of public media and public education was created.
New Haven and the shoreline have been strong supporters of public media and this new location gives us the ability to engage more people where they live and share their stories. And the campus is a perfect environment for creating and nurturing informed thought.
So many donors agreed to be part of this project, and shared the vision of this collaboration, that we were able to fund the new studio construction costs in their entirety. Special thanks to:
- Susan Fox and Greg Melville
- Doug Stone and Mary Schwab-Stone ( through the Smart family foundation of New York)
- Seedlings Foundation
- Bob Jaeger
- Barry and Joan Richter
- Rick & Melanie Mayer / Mfund
- Steve Corman
- Zimmel Family Fund
- Ruth DuPont Lord Charitable Trust
- Nick and Anita Donofrio
- Yale Health Care of New Haven
- TomKat Foundation
Questions?
Please Contact Our Team:
Holly Winters,
Director of Major Gifts
Phone 860-275-7344
hwinters@ctpublic.org
Lisa Wrubleski,
Donor Relations & Planned Giving Manager
Phone 860-275-7250
lwrubleski@ctpublic.org
Deidre Tavera,
Chief Development Officer
Phone 860-275-7275
dtavera@ctpublic.org
Leadership Circle
Connecticut Public’s Leadership Circle donors are our most generous annual contributors. They are passionate about Connecticut Public and our vision to be an essential source for truth and ideas that connects the citizens of Connecticut to their communities and to the world.
The Leadership Circle is a recognition society for contributors who through their annual donations ensure that Connecticut Public remains the state’s trusted public media source for fact-based journalism, information, educational resources, and quality programming on TV, radio and digital platforms.
Leadership Circle giving starts at $1,000 annually. We are pleased to accept gifts made by check, credit card; as one-time gifts, pledges or through monthly installments as a Connecticut Public Sustainer; or through Donor Advised Funds and other giving methods. The following benefits are available to donors who are part of the Leadership Giving Circle and vary with level of support:
* All messages are subject to FCC regulations and CT Public guidelines.
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After 36 years of ongoing support, Larry Lunden understands that sustaining the mission of public media includes engaging and education the next generation. Larry's $100k gift endowed a newsroom internship for each fall and spring to help bright young students to learn the craft of journalism. Thank you, Larry!
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Rose is a millennial who firmly believes in Connecticut Public’s mission. Our Television and Radio stations are her sources for reliable, honest, unbiased news.
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Steve and his late wife Betsy have been supporters of CT Public since 1994, and in particular our education programs.