Connie Ballmer Gives Record $80M to NPR as Social Media Cut

Philanthropist Connie Ballmer, wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, is making a big bet on the future of public media as declining federal funding squeezes broadcasters across the country. He donated $80 million to National Public Radio, NPR announced yesterday (April 16). The gift, the largest ever from a living donor to NPR, will fund the network’s push into digital platforms. It comes with an additional $33 million contribution from an anonymous donor to support stations across the NPR Network, bringing the total to $113 million at a critical time for public media.

“I support NPR because an informed public is the foundation of our society, and democracy requires strong and independent journalism,” Connie Ballmer said in a statement. “I hope this commitment provides the stability and spark NPR needs to innovate boldly and strengthen the national network.”

Connie Ballmer founded the Ballmer Group more than a decade ago with her husband, and the couple previously launched the nonprofit Partners for Our Children in the 2000s with a $10 million donation. In recent years, the couple has focused more of their wealth on philanthropy, focusing on the fight against intergenerational poverty.

Steve Ballmer, who helped Microsoft from 2000 to 2014 and now owns the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, is the 14th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $134.4 billion. He is the first business executive to reach that level of wealth without founding his own company, thanks to his initial stake in Microsoft.

Their latest move comes as public media organizations face the fallout from federal funding cuts. In an interview with The Chronicle of Philanthropy last year, Connie Ballmer admitted that philanthropy is “cannot fill the hole” left by that was brought down.” However, the couple has not stepped in to support institutions hit hard by the downturn, including public broadcasters.

Last year, Congress restored more than $1 billion in previously authorized public media funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The cuts translated into about a 10 percent budget loss for the average public radio station, with an even worse impact on public television stations and PBS. Although NPR is more dependent on CPB funding than many of its peers, it has still seen its annual budget shrink between 1 percent and 2 percent.

A federal judge granted relief last month, ruling that President Donald Trump’s executive order to freeze funding for NPR and PBS was unconstitutional. However, this decision did not return the funds that had already been withdrawn.

That makes the timing of Connie Ballmer’s gift all the more important. NPR plans to use the funds to accelerate its digital strategy, expand its reach across all modern platforms and invest in tools to better understand and engage audiences. An additional $33 million will help member stations strengthen capabilities in areas such as audience analysis, marketing and fundraising.
The combined $113 million represents NPR’s largest philanthropic outpouring since 2003, when Joan Kroc, wife of McDonald’s CEO Ray Kroc, left the organization $200 million. Recent major gifts include a $10 million donation in 2018 from former NPR CEO Jarl Mohn and his wife, Pamela.

Because the new funds are earmarked for specific programs, they are not expected to eliminate the broader budget deficit. I The broadcaster has not ruled out future job cuts as it faces ongoing financial pressure. “While this investment is impressive, it is not a substitute for government funding,” said Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, in a blog post.

Still, Maher is building donations as a catalyst for long-needed change. The funding will help accelerate priorities already on NPR’s agenda, including building a more sustainable network and transitioning to a digital-first future. “After 50 years of delivering quality services to the nation, it was time to upgrade our services for the next 50 years,” he wrote.