MPR Receives $56 Million Donation

• Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), a member of the American Public Media Group (APMG), announced that it has received a cash gift of $56 million, the largest in the organization’s 55-year history, from an anonymous donor. In keeping with the donor’s explicit intent for this contribution, the funds will be used exclusively to serve YourClassical audiences and provide technological support for new media transmission.

“This extraordinary gift will have a transformative impact on the future of Minnesota Public Radio and the communities we serve,” said Jean Taylor, APMG President & CEO. “It will enable us to deepen and broaden our relevance with a growing audience by delivering compelling content, creating meaningful listening experiences and advancing MPR’s digital capabilities and infrastructure. Through the generosity and support of this donor — and so many others — we will continue to fulfill our public service mission.”

Duchesne Drew, APMG Senior Vice President & President of MPR, commented, “At MPR, we are committed to being a trusted and independent source of information and inspiration for audiences across a diverse portfolio of programming and channels. More than a quarter of the music we play at YourClassical features a musician, ensemble, or composer who is a woman and/or a Black person, Indigenous person or person of color. This generous gift will allow us to expand representation, grow YourClassical’s presence and accelerate digital innovation to broaden and better serve our classical music community.”

“We are deeply grateful for the generosity of this donor,” said Mandy Tuong, MPR Board Member, Gift Task Force Chair and President & CEO of Thrivent Charitable Impact and Investing. “APMG and MPR are fortunate to have donors who believe in our mission and demonstrate their confidence in our shared future through ongoing financial support. As the largest classical public media organization in the country, we are well positioned to bring classical music to a new generation of diverse listeners.”