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Sierra Adoption Services segment being taped at NCTV studios. The one-day telethon raised $60,000 for many of the county's nonprofits.
NCTV's 2005 telethon, which raised more than $60,000 for local non-profits, doubling the money pledged during its first telethon last year, can trace its inspiration to an unlikely place: The political turmoil of Romania.
Lew Sitzer, NCTV executive director, whose brainchild is the "Day of Giving" telethon, spent five years teaching in Romania, where he learned a few valuable lessons about fundraising.
"The NGOs, non-government organizations, had a lot of heart but no money. At the same time, I learned there were multinational corporations that wanted to help the community but didn't know how to go about it, so I set up United Way and ProChild Romania. To get the funding, I found out all you had to do is ask."
Sitzer took those fundraising lessons back to the states, and in 2004 developed the NCTV Telethon.
"I thought of it as a way to put our local non-profits in touch with one another, and to focus on local needs," he said.
The Nov. 5 telethon, broadcast on Comcast Channel 11, was a 12-hour event that focused on 33 nonprofits, each of which had a 15-minute, on-air segment to make their pledge pitch. More than 100 volunteers helped to keep things running smoothly, staffing the pledge phone banks, providing food in the "Green Room," where people waited before going on air, and coordinating an entertainment festival at the adjacent Imaginarium. The station also televised the festival as part of the event.
Viewers who called the phone bank could select the non-profit they wanted to fund. Pledges ranged from $20,270 for the Foothill Theatre Company to eight organizations each getting a little more than $2,000. A complete listing of the pledges can be obtained by calling NCTV at 478-6400, ext. 249.
Gold Country Community Center, which provides nutritional lunches for homebound seniors and senior visitors to its High Noon Café, at the county fairgrounds Gate 2, received $2,050 in pledges. Francisco Lovato, project manager, says the telethon money will be equally divided among the café, the homebound food program and other activities at the center, which include recreation and education programs.
Since the center opened in 1982 it has served 1.2 million meals to Nevada County seniors, Lovato said.
"The telethon was an amazing amount of coordination for a little town like this," said Lovato, who has produced major musical fundraising events. "I hope we can get more people watching next year to build the momentum."
The success of this year's telethon, according to Sitzer, was the result of dedicated volunteers and the fact that some of the nonprofits took his advice and did a full-scale pledge drive, going beyond the telethon and reaching out further into the community.
"We're also becoming better known in the community," he said, "and I think the donors are realizing that help is needed within our own community. We can't really depend on state or national governments to help us."
While more than $60,000 is impressive, Sitzer says "we can go way beyond that next year." He wants to work with local media organizations to do more advance publicity and, depending on the outcome of current negotiations with Comcast, Sitzer is also hoping to extend the station's audience reach. Currently, NCTV, a public access station that is part of the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools office, reaches about 10,000 homes in Nevada City, Grass Valley and Lake Wildwood. Sitzer wants to add audiences in Alta Sierra and Lake of the Pines.
"I think the TV station is becoming more well known and the quality of the production has vastly improved," says Terry McAteer, Nevada County superintendent of schools.
Lew Sitzer, NCTV executive director, whose brainchild is the "Day of Giving" telethon, spent five years teaching in Romania, where he learned a few valuable lessons about fundraising.
"The NGOs, non-government organizations, had a lot of heart but no money. At the same time, I learned there were multinational corporations that wanted to help the community but didn't know how to go about it, so I set up United Way and ProChild Romania. To get the funding, I found out all you had to do is ask."
Sitzer took those fundraising lessons back to the states, and in 2004 developed the NCTV Telethon.
"I thought of it as a way to put our local non-profits in touch with one another, and to focus on local needs," he said.
The Nov. 5 telethon, broadcast on Comcast Channel 11, was a 12-hour event that focused on 33 nonprofits, each of which had a 15-minute, on-air segment to make their pledge pitch. More than 100 volunteers helped to keep things running smoothly, staffing the pledge phone banks, providing food in the "Green Room," where people waited before going on air, and coordinating an entertainment festival at the adjacent Imaginarium. The station also televised the festival as part of the event.
Viewers who called the phone bank could select the non-profit they wanted to fund. Pledges ranged from $20,270 for the Foothill Theatre Company to eight organizations each getting a little more than $2,000. A complete listing of the pledges can be obtained by calling NCTV at 478-6400, ext. 249.
Gold Country Community Center, which provides nutritional lunches for homebound seniors and senior visitors to its High Noon Café, at the county fairgrounds Gate 2, received $2,050 in pledges. Francisco Lovato, project manager, says the telethon money will be equally divided among the café, the homebound food program and other activities at the center, which include recreation and education programs.
Since the center opened in 1982 it has served 1.2 million meals to Nevada County seniors, Lovato said.
"The telethon was an amazing amount of coordination for a little town like this," said Lovato, who has produced major musical fundraising events. "I hope we can get more people watching next year to build the momentum."
The success of this year's telethon, according to Sitzer, was the result of dedicated volunteers and the fact that some of the nonprofits took his advice and did a full-scale pledge drive, going beyond the telethon and reaching out further into the community.
"We're also becoming better known in the community," he said, "and I think the donors are realizing that help is needed within our own community. We can't really depend on state or national governments to help us."
While more than $60,000 is impressive, Sitzer says "we can go way beyond that next year." He wants to work with local media organizations to do more advance publicity and, depending on the outcome of current negotiations with Comcast, Sitzer is also hoping to extend the station's audience reach. Currently, NCTV, a public access station that is part of the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools office, reaches about 10,000 homes in Nevada City, Grass Valley and Lake Wildwood. Sitzer wants to add audiences in Alta Sierra and Lake of the Pines.
"I think the TV station is becoming more well known and the quality of the production has vastly improved," says Terry McAteer, Nevada County superintendent of schools.
"It's amazing that our little TV station could raise $60,00 in a 12-hour period."
NCTV is housed in a 3,500 square-foot facility at 112 Nevada City Highway, Nevada City, next to the Imaginarium. The station, which is less than two years old, provides a public access channel for education, government and local organizations, including churches.
It also provides practical training in video production, offering local students classes in camera work, control room engineering and editing. Since NCTV is commercial free, it depends on memberships and donations for support. Membership rates are students and seniors, $20, individuals, $35, families, $60, and businesses and organizations, $100.
NCTV is housed in a 3,500 square-foot facility at 112 Nevada City Highway, Nevada City, next to the Imaginarium. The station, which is less than two years old, provides a public access channel for education, government and local organizations, including churches.
It also provides practical training in video production, offering local students classes in camera work, control room engineering and editing. Since NCTV is commercial free, it depends on memberships and donations for support. Membership rates are students and seniors, $20, individuals, $35, families, $60, and businesses and organizations, $100.
Organizations and totals
Adult Day Services (formerly Lutz) - $25American Red Cross $5,045
Big Brothers, Big Sisters - $25
CATS (Community Asian Theater Society) - $0.00
Child Advocates of Nevada County $325
Children's Festival - $30
Citizen's for Choice - $2,050
CORR (Community Recovery Services) - $0.00
Crisis Kare Nursery - $0.00
Food Bank of Nevada County - $210
Foothill Theatre Company - $20,270
FREED Center for Independent Living - $1,000
Gold Country Community Center - $2,050
Gold Country Telecare - $100
Helpline Information & Assistance - $0.00
Hospice of the Foothills - $2,960
Hospitality House - $2,405
Literacy Council of Nevada County $50
Movement Alliance - $100
NAMI (Neighborhood Assoc. for Mentally Ill) - $450
Neighborhood Center of the Arts - $2,200.00
Nevada Theatre Commission - $3,805
Nevada County Habitat for Humanity - $0.00
Nevada County Land Trust - $160.
Nevada County Library Literacy Project - $0.00
Pet Adoption League - $25
Sierra Adoption Services - $0.00
Sierra Nevada Children's Services - $2,525
Sierra Services for the Blind - $2,260
Spirit Mental Health Peer Emp. Center - $2,200
St. Joseph's Cultural Center - $25
The Imaginarium - $1,215
United Way - $7,545
Women of Worth - $1,055
Nevada County Housing Development - $25
TEAM 3 Family Counseling Center - $25
Friendship Club - $75
NCTV - $121
No Agency Preference - $200
TOTAL - $60,556.00
Sierra Adoption Services - $0.00
Sierra Nevada Children's Services - $2,525
Sierra Services for the Blind - $2,260
Spirit Mental Health Peer Emp. Center - $2,200
St. Joseph's Cultural Center - $25
The Imaginarium - $1,215
United Way - $7,545
Women of Worth - $1,055
Nevada County Housing Development - $25
TEAM 3 Family Counseling Center - $25
Friendship Club - $75
NCTV - $121
No Agency Preference - $200
TOTAL - $60,556.00
