NPR on Thursday said it had received two gifts totaling $113 million, including the largest donation from a living donor in the network’s history.
Connie Ballmer, the philanthropist and co-founder of the Ballmer Group, a philanthropic organization she leads with her husband, the billionaire former Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer, gave NPR $80 million for its digital innovation efforts. An anonymous donor gave $33 million to the NPR Network, a web of affiliated public radio stations across the United States.
“I support NPR because an informed public is the bedrock of our society, and democracy requires strong, independent journalism,” Ms. Ballmer said in a statement. “My hope is that this commitment provides the stability and the spark NPR needs to innovate boldly and strengthen its national network.”
Last year, Congress clawed back $500 million in annual funding from public broadcasters, sending hundreds of stations scrambling. NPR was somewhat insulated from the direct financial impacts of that decision, because a small fraction of its budget came directly from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the government-funded company that gave away funds to NPR and PBS stations. But the ripple effects still have taken a toll.
Katherine Maher, NPR’s chief executive, said in a statement that she hoped the gifts would inspire others to donate and “ensure public media remains strong for generations to come.” She added that the money would help NPR reach its audiences where they are.
Benjamin Mullin reports for The Times on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact him securely on Signal at +1 530-961-3223 or at [email protected].
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