Southern York County Podcast

This episode begs the question, 'so what is SYCP worth to you'?  For me as President of SYCP Inc., the answer is an acccounting one.  I lowballed the esimate for the number of epsiodes in 2009.  Actually, our filename for audio episodes is up to 19 then add three public meetings so SYCP produced about 22 episodes this year.  Now from an accounting standpoint, you have to take not the budget we have been working with over the last 2 years which is $0.00/year.  This just is not realistic.  As we discussed in this episode we cannot continue like that.  We can not keep volunteers, interns, board members, officers, redundant guests, etc.  It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that we cannot continue the way we have been going.
 
So let's take a realistic look at what a single SYCP episode is worth - I mean if you were going to buy the rights to one leagally.  I obviously am not going to add on more value for listeners and such since it is impossible to calculate that number with all the share of downloads, organizations handing out CDs, etc.  Now this has been a source of contreversy within the SYCP team until recently.  Team members have said - why do we need a per episode value (i.e. cost).  The first answer is that we are a nonprofit and we need to pay for each episode.  In a normal area this would be done by private donations by individuals and local buinesses.  Well, that's all I'll say about that . . .   Anyway, just like any other business our operations need to be funded.  If we drift along and do everthing for free and the community does nothing, well, listening to the episode you have heard the result of that scenerio.
 
But what we are going to do is to try to calulate a real budget were the podcast is operational and strong enough finacially to keep volunteers working 15 - 30 hours per month for 12 months a year.  Keep officers, (yours truly) working at least twice that.  Keep guest coming back - the best way to do that is to do things to show that we are finacially strong by showing our gratitude through, light meals, drinks, Christamas cards, etc.  Team traveling expenses to places like Delaware, Aberdeen including meals, event costs, etc.  Also insurances, accountant, business plan creation, grant writer, transcription services, advertising, legal services, etc.   Now add in our server costs which is about $200 per month.
 
So I don't bore anyone with all the details the comes out (assuming a three year average) to about $900.00 per month so that is about $500.00 per episode.  So from my standpoint SYCP provides the community with about $12,000.00 in free services per year.  All without a penny from the community!  What about underwriting you say?  Can't that make up for it?  To some degree yes.  First it actually, requires folks, especially those who have benefitted from the podcast, to actually help underwrite our programming.  In other word, put your money where your mouth is!  OK, let's say that we would like to get $140 per episode in underwriting.  Now let's say we would like to get about $4000.00/year in online underwriting.  OK that is about $7000.00 in underwriting.  Now let's say we get about 4 more volunteers to help with fundraising etc.  Those volunteers we have are already stretched to the limit.  Now let's say we make about $1500.00/year in fundraising.  OK we're getting there . . . about $8500.00.  Now local, state , and federal grants. we would need about $3500.00/yr.  Now we know the state is in trouble.  A little organization like ours is not going to get anything from the feds, that is too political.
 
The best strategy with grants is probably to get local governments to apply for communtiy granst from the state and fed.  and give us the resulting grant. Keep in mind this is money they otherwise would not get anyone, so it is not taking anything away from anyone else.  So let's say we could talk three municipalities/yr locally to apply or grants for us and at most, total we are looking at is likey about $2400.00/yr (say $800.00 from each municipality).  this means that say a large corporation like Wal Mart, Veriszon, radio Shack, may be able to donate the other $1100.00/yr.
 
OK, what did this miraculous budget take to accomplish?  Foisrt local businesses to underwrite our programming.  So far in two years we have recieved $0.00 in underwriting . . . I am not holding my breath, not around here.  It also requires local twps and boroughs to accept the fact that they are part of the community we serve.  How could Collinsville, or New Freedom not believe that they are part of Southern or Central York County?  Guess what . . they don't.  At the very least even though we have done shows on topics specific to those areas in the past, organizations in those communities don't belive we serve them.  Even though we get a lot of traffic from those areas.  In fact collinsville area tells us that we are mor for the Stewarstown /New freedom Area and New Freedom  organizations tell us we are more targetted toward Delta/Collinsville area. Imagine that!  They just did not want to listen (or care) about the folks in their community that were getting something out of the podcast. Or maybe they feel we could continue to provide something for nothing.   So having communities get us grants . . . . tough one.  Now let's talk about those folks who are going to come help us with fundraising . . . still waiting.
 
So you see the problem here for us?  We cannot even keep SYCP together if external factors in the community don't try to help us as the normal resources stresses pull the team apart.  People walking away wondering if this is not worth it to the community should it be worth it to them? 
 
I have always believed in the free market and if the community does not support us, we could go about the rest of our lives.  But it is YOU who will be losing out!  Yes, if you think the podcast provides useful information and service then you are the one who loses, not the SYCP team that can now spend more time with their families and their own leisure; even as the treasure that is SYCP floats to the bottom of the sea, never to be recovered again for you or your community!
 
So what is an SYCP episode worth to you as a resident of southern/central York County?