Community Counts Initiative

“Not everything that counts can be counted,
and not everything that can be counted counts.”

Albert Einstein

About the Community Counts Initiative

CCI is predicated on NFCB’s deeply held convictions that, as a nation, we need resilient local communities—healthy, socially connected, and equitable—that have the ability to address and manage a range of situations and opportunities. Small-market public media is a critical resource for preserving, uplifting, and enhancing the well being of local communities. At the same time, community radio is impacted by shrinking resources, evolving technology and changing listening trends.

View Final Report for Pilot Cohort (2018-2019)

Broadband technology, media consolidation, and the disruption of local journalism have all challenged community stations. Using the Circle of Engagement model, CCI focuses on exploring sustainable paths with an eye towards sharing case studies with other NFCB stations and the larger public media system.

Funding for CCI is provided by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) whose mission is to ensure access to non-commercial, high-quality and educational public media service to all Americans.

Testimonials from the 2020/2021 CCI Cohort

“The CCI process, and specifically using the training of the Circle of Engagement, has given us the framework and the words to describe the process to move forward in the direction we need to go as the station, board, and staff.”

KFAI

“CCI has been great at connecting us to the broader world of community radio, thank YOU!”

KGNU

“While in the cohort, I've increased my communication skills. CCI involvement has helped me to focus on what is important and gives my community engagement more soul and purpose.”

KIDE

“CCI helped us develop new strategies to increase engagement with our current student interns and reach a more diverse group of students for future interns.”

KNHC

“CCI helped us prioritize diversity and organizational capacity as well as give us tools for comprehensive planning. It gave me the inspiration I needed to move forward with youth radio projects.”

KVMR

“Participation in the CCI program has encouraged us to act on ideas that have been discussed, but never implemented.”

WVMR-AMR

CCI Requirements

Localism

Applying stations must be CSG grantees in good standing

Leadership

Applicants must include the general manager and a staff member of their choice

Collective Impact

One of the station’s two participants must be a station leader who has been in a management position at the station for at least two years

Equity

Applicants should have existing capacity that they can leverage to create an initiative that somehow addresses the intersectionality of the global pandemic, race relations/equity crisis, and increasing instability of the climate.