STILL TIME TO WRITE THAT CHECK TO THE BFA

I know that you have your favorite charities that you give to every year.

But there is one more that I would suggest deserves to be on your list (if it's not already on it, of course).

It’s special not only because of the good work it does, but also because it is for and about broadcasting.

It is the Broadcasters Foundation of America.

In case you don’t know, it raises money through events and unabashed requests for funds and doles it out on a monthly basis to a growing roll of former broadcasters who have fallen on hard times.

Nothing too complicated about that. You give money. The BFA collects it and hands it out to some of your industry peers who really need it.

Chairman Phil Lombardo of Citadel Communications, President Gordon Hastings and an active who’s-who-of-broadcasting board have developed three productive revenue streams over the years—events, corporate giving and individual giving.

According to Lombardo, each stream is running so well that BFA was able to add 10 new recipients this year while building its endowment to $3 million.

All told, BFA handed out $450,000 to around 40 individuals this year—record numbers, Lombardo says.

For an organization like BFA, that’s the bottom line.

The big annual fundraising event is the Golden Mike Awards dinner.

This year’s recipient is Disney’s Anne Sweeney. That's a big name, so why not make plans to be in New York City on Feb. 25 and join 600 of the broadcast glitterati at the Waldolf -Astoria.

The BFA has three other opportunities for you to pay and play—the NAB Charity Golf Tournament (April 13 in Las Vegas), the Offshore Fishing & Family Weekend (May 2-4 in Key Biscayne, Fla.) and the Celebrity Golf Tournament (Sept. 15 in Scarsdale, N.Y.)

Katz Media’s Stu Olds is handling BFA's Angel Initiative, persuading station groups to include the BFA along with the United Way and other regular recipients of corporate largess.

According to Lombardo, the Angel contributions have grown over the past four years to $250,000 a year.

The indefatigable Bill O’Shaughnessy is in charge of the building the endowment through individual contributions—with no minimums or maximums. If you have not heard from him, you will. He maintains the industry’s largest Rolodex.

If you need persuading, O’Shaughnessy is offering to set up a “no-obligation” luncheon with Lombardo in New York. By “no-obligation,” I think O’Shaughnessy means that Lombardo may pick up the check, but you’ll owe the foundation 10 times that amount.

A couple of years ago, I profiled a couple of the BFA’s beneficiaries, but those stories were a rare exception to the rule of confidentially and anonymity. I was able to tell them only because the recipients agreed to boost fundraising.

But even though you don’t know exactly where your money will be going, you can trust that it is going to those in real need, folks like you who simply suffered a series of bad breaks.

It says something about the organization that Lombardo seems more concerned about finding recipients for BFA funds than he is about raising more money.

“We have got to get the word out,” he says. “If you are in trouble and need some help, let us know. If we can help, we will.”

Lombardo also urges broadcasters to be on the lookout for people in need. “People are sometime reluctant to come forward on their own.”

Lombardo is hoping grow the endowment to $10 million and expand the program by a rate of 10 to 15 recipients a year “without putting a financial strain” on the organization.

That means that contributions must continue to grow at a steady and healthy pace.

That means you have to write a check—right now while you can still get that 2007 deduction.

You can send those checks to:

Broadcasters Foundation of America

7 Lincoln Avenue

Greenwich, CT 06830