Public radio stations text with Hustle to turn listeners into members and members into sustainers.
Your members are already on their phones when they decide to give, so your pledge drive should be there too. Stations like LAist and KQED use Hustle to raise monthly gifts, save sustainers before they lapse, and keep members close between drives. Here is what that looks like, with real numbers to back it up.
TL;DR
- LAist got more than 1,200 sustainers to reply YES and raise their monthly gift across its fall drive and Giving Tuesday campaigns.
- KQED recaptured 91 sustainers with failed cards, with a 43% engagement rate and a 1% opt out rate.
- Mobile fundraising revenue grew 48% across nonprofits last year (M+R Benchmarks 2026).
- Most stations are texting within a month, and one person can run it.
What results are public radio stations seeing from texting?
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1,200+ | LAist sustainers who replied YES to raise their monthly gift |
| 43% | KQED engagement rate on member texts |
| 91 | KQED sustainers recaptured after a failed card |
| 1% | KQED opt out rate on recapture texts |
| +48% | Mobile fundraising revenue growth across nonprofits last year |
Nonprofit benchmark from M+R Benchmarks 2026, reporting 2025 results.
How did LAist raise monthly gifts with one text?
LAist texted its sustainers one ask across its fall drive and Giving Tuesday campaigns. Reply YES to give a little more each month. The team made the change on the back end, so members never touched a form. More than 1,200 sustainers said yes. Read the full LAist story.
“Our members really met the moment last year by increasing their support after being federally defunded, with 1,200 yes replies between our fall drive and Giving Tuesday.”
Danny Sway, Director of Membership, Digital, LAist
What does a sustainer upgrade text look like?
Here is a sample conversation from a sustainer upgrade campaign like LAist. The ask is personal, specific, and answerable with one word that instantly removes barriers to participation and makes it easy for the team to handle a large volume of responses.
How does KQED keep sustainers from lapsing?
KQED texts sustainers at the start of each month when a card fails. A quick link from a real person brings them back before the gift lapses, and almost no one opts out. The station recaptured 91 sustainers with a 1% opt out rate and a 43% engagement rate on member texts. See how KQED uses Hustle.
“Being able to have one-on-one conversations with donors and answer their questions so quickly is incredibly valuable.”
Taylor Beard, Associate Director of Direct Response Fundraising, KQED
How can public radio stations use texting?
Raise monthly gifts with one reply
Ask your sustainers to give a little more. They reply YES and you update the gift. Members never fill out a form or log in, so nobody drops off along the way. Start with sustainers who have given steadily for a year or more, and suggest one specific amount so the decision takes seconds.
Save sustainers before they lapse
A failed card is not a lost member. A text with a secure link brings most of them back the same week. With Hustle Automations, recapture runs as a text message journey that sends the first text when a card fails and follows up on a schedule you set.
Close the match while it is on air
The host says the deadline and the phone shows the link. Members give in the moment instead of meaning to give later. Hustle Broadcast Texting sends the ask to your whole list at once. Send it during the break when the host mentions the match, so the link arrives while their words are still fresh.
Put your hosts in the appeal
Send a 30 second video from a voice members already trust, straight to their phone, with Hustle Video Messaging. A familiar voice makes the ask feel like a conversation with someone members know, and it works just as well for a thank-you after the gift comes in.
Answer members faster
Address changes, billing questions, and thank yous are handled in a few texts by a real person on your team, using peer-to-peer texting. Members get an answer in minutes instead of waiting days for an email reply, which keeps small problems from turning into cancellations.
Deliver the newsroom too
Voter guides, breaking news, and event invites reach the same members who fund the work. Members who only hear from you during a drive start to tune out, so useful updates between asks keep them glad they gave.
“Our texters all feel like they are really getting to know the community members who text us back.”
Taylor Beard, Associate Director of Direct Response Fundraising, KQED
Why are stations choosing Hustle?
Texting goes live before your next drive
Hustle audits your website and policies, then handles carrier registration for you. Most stations are texting within the month. Registration is the step that slows most organizations down, so the Hustle team handles it while you prepare your list and first message.
Built for small teams
One person can build the campaign, load the list, and send. Keywords and Automations answer common replies so your inbox stays light. Text message journeys in Automations handle the follow-ups for you, from a welcome series for new members to reminders timed to key dates like a match deadline or the last day of a drive, so a small team can run a year of outreach without sending every text by hand.
A tool for every team
Membership runs drives and recapture. The newsroom sends alerts and voter guides. Events fill the room. Everyone works from one list and one thread. Members hear one consistent voice from the station instead of separate messages from every department.
“I would recommend Hustle to a fellow nonprofit fundraiser, and I have, because it’s simple to use and gives quick and easy results after set up.”
Danny Sway, Director of Membership, Digital, LAist
What do a station’s first 90 days on Hustle look like?
- Week 1. Hustle reviews your site and policies and submits registration. You import your member list. Most of the registration process sits with Hustle, so your membership team can keep its focus on the drive calendar.
- Week 3. Your first text goes out. Start with card recapture or a sustainer upgrade. Results come back within minutes. Both go to members who already give, which makes them a low-risk way to see how your audience responds to texts from the station.
- Your next drive. Texts run alongside on air, email, and mail. Hosts send video. Members reply YES. By then your team has a few campaigns behind it and journeys running in the background, so the drive builds on texts members already expect from you.
Why does texting beat email for pledge drives?
Email tells members what you need. A text from a real person asks them, and waits for an answer. Across nonprofits, mobile fundraising clicks run 3.7% and donation pages convert at 4.2%, according to M+R Benchmarks 2026. Your members are already on their phones when they decide to give, so reach them there.
Which Hustle products do public radio stations use?
- Hustle P2P Texting lets your team hold one-to-one conversations with members at scale, which is how stations handle card recapture, billing questions, and thank-yous.
- Hustle Broadcast Texting sends one message to your whole list or a segment at once, which fits sustainer upgrades, match deadlines, and drive-wide asks.
- Hustle Automations and Keywords answer common replies on their own and run text message journeys, like a welcome series or deadline reminders, so follow-ups happen without extra staff time.
- Hustle Video Messaging, including Clips, Personalized Clips, and Stories, puts a host’s face and voice in front of members with short videos sent straight to their phones.
- Hustle Dialer lets your team call members from the same list when a conversation needs a phone call, like a major donor thank-you or a tricky billing question.
Want to share the quick version with your team? Download the Hustle for Public Radio two-pager.
Frequently asked questions
How do public radio stations use texting?
Stations text members to raise monthly gifts, recover sustainers whose cards fail, close on-air matches, send host videos, answer member questions, and deliver newsroom updates like voter guides and event invites. One list and one conversation thread cover membership, the newsroom, and events.
How does a sustainer upgrade by text work?
A station texts its sustainers one ask to give a little more each month. Members who agree reply YES, and the membership team updates the gift on the back end, so members never fill out a form or log in. LAist got more than 1,200 YES replies this way across its fall drive and Giving Tuesday campaigns.
Can texting recover sustainers whose credit cards fail?
Yes. KQED texts sustainers at the start of each month when a card fails. A quick message with a secure link from a real person brings them back before the gift lapses. KQED recaptured 91 sustainers with a 1% opt out rate.
How long does it take a station to start texting with Hustle?
Most stations are texting within the month. Hustle reviews your website and policies and handles carrier registration. You import your member list in week one, and your first text can go out in week three.
Does a station need a big team to run texting?
No. One person can build a campaign, load the list, and send. Keywords and Automations answer common replies, so the inbox stays manageable for a small membership team.
Can stations automate follow-up texts?
Yes. Hustle Automations runs text message journeys that send a series of texts on a schedule, such as a welcome series for new members, reminders leading up to a match deadline or the end of a drive, and card recapture follow-ups. Keywords answer common replies automatically, so the team steps in only when a member needs a person.
Does texting replace on-air, email, and mail appeals?
No. Texts run alongside on-air breaks, email, and mail during a drive. Email tells members what the station needs, while a text from a real person asks them directly and waits for an answer.
Can listeners text a keyword to give during an on-air drive?
Yes. A host reads a short code and a simple keyword like DONATE or TOTE on air, which is easier to catch than a long URL. When a listener texts in, an automatic reply sends the donation link, and Hustle Automations can tag new donors for thank-yous and follow-up asks.
How can stations thank members and major donors by text?
Send a quick personalized video from a favorite on-air host with Hustle Personalized Clips, or a behind-the-scenes update on what the gift made possible. Teams that prefer a phone call can use Hustle Dialer to make thank-you calls faster and track them.
How do stations stay in touch with members between pledge drives?
Share behind-the-scenes clips, send reminders and RSVP links for events like book clubs and screenings, run quick surveys with keywords, and invite listeners to text a keyword to join the newsletter. None of these make an ask, so members hear from you for more than money. Find more ideas in our guide to texting for public media engagement.
Does texting work with direct mail?
Yes. Add a short code or QR code to donation letters, text members a reminder to check their email or confirm a call time, and follow up quickly after a pledge with a thank-you text or video.
Text your members for your next drive.
Book a 30 minute demo. We will map the first campaign to your calendar and show you what LAist and KQED already know.
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