Today we’d like to introduce you to Steph Shannon.
Hi steph, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After an accomplished career in film and television production—including ten years as the Kansas City Film Commissioner—I made a significant career pivot: I became a fundraiser for Kansas City PBS.
It was a major change, but not an unfamiliar organization. I had loved PBS for years, had worked with Kansas City PBS professionally, and volunteered for on-air pledge drives. I knew the station from the outside and believed deeply in its mission. When the opportunity came to join an organization so committed to serving its community, I wanted to be part of it.
And I wanted to be useful.
My first year was about building a foundation—learning the organization, its people and culture, while also learning an entirely new profession. Typically, the second year is when you begin to find your footing and build momentum.
Mine was different.
Kansas City PBS suddenly faced the largest budgetary challenge in its history. Federal funding cuts created a $1.8 million hole in our budget. At nearly the same time, we learned our largest donor would no longer support the station—another loss of approximately $1 million annually.
Almost overnight, the organization I had chosen because I believed so deeply in its mission was facing an unprecedented financial challenge.
And I was now responsible for asking people to help.
Still relatively new to fundraising, I had no familiar playbook for a crisis of this magnitude. I had to learn while doing, build relationships while asking more of them, and communicate urgency without losing sight of what made Kansas City PBS worth supporting in the first place.
The career change I had chosen was suddenly no longer theoretical.
It was being tested.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but some of the most meaningful career experiences rarely are.
Changing careers after decades in film and television production—including ten years as the Kansas City Film Commissioner—meant becoming a beginner again. I left a world where I had experience, relationships and confidence for a profession with a new language, new systems and a different way of building relationships.
Just as I was finding my footing, Kansas City PBS faced an unprecedented financial challenge: federal funding cuts created a $1.8 million budget gap, while the loss of our largest donor meant another $1 million in annual funding.
Suddenly, I wasn’t learning to fundraise under ordinary circumstances. I was learning when the need had never been greater.
The pressure clarified something for me: fundraising isn’t simply about asking for money. It’s about helping people understand what’s at stake and giving them an opportunity to invest in something they value. I had to become comfortable with difficult conversations, hearing “no,” asking again and continuing to build authentic relationships despite the urgency.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has reinforced why I made this change. When you truly believe in the mission you’re asking others to support, challenges don’t diminish that belief—they give you a reason to fight harder for it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the Director of Major Giving at Kansas City PBS, where I work alongside Major Gifts and Legacy Society Manager Erin Gingrich-Gaylord, Donor Relations Manager Lauren Peck, our Chief Development Officer, Louise Lee, and our President and CEO, Cara Williams Fry, to build meaningful relationships with people who believe in the mission of public media.
What I am most proud of, though, is how I treat people.
I’ve always believed that people remember how you made them feel, and that belief informs the way I approach fundraising. Before I ever think about making an ask, I want to make a connection. I’m genuinely curious about people—who they are, what they care about, what motivates them and what they want their impact to be.
A seasoned fundraiser I know, Ted Place, once described fundraising to me in a way that has stayed with me: “You are helping people enjoy their philanthropy.”
That’s exactly how I see my work.
There is real joy in getting to know someone and discovering the intersection between their values and something they have the ability to make possible. A philanthropic gift can be much more than a transaction. At its best, it is an expression of what someone loves, believes in and wants to preserve or strengthen for others.
PBS makes those conversations especially meaningful because the connection is so often deeply personal. Many people, myself included, have cherished childhood memories of PBS and understand the impact it had on their lives. Parents and grandparents have watched that same relationship develop with their children and grandchildren. Others value the trusted programming, the storytelling, the arts and culture, or the locally focused programs and events Kansas City PBS provides to our community.
What sets me apart may be that I don’t begin with the gift. I begin with the person.
I listen. I ask questions. I look for what matters to them. And when the right connection emerges between what they care about and what Kansas City PBS can accomplish, helping them turn those values into meaningful philanthropy is incredibly rewarding.
I spent much of my previous career telling stories. In many ways, I’m still doing that—only now I’m also listening to other people’s stories and helping them decide what part of the next chapter they want to make possible.
I love this job.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are many ways to support Kansas City PBS, and it begins simply by being part of the community we serve.
Watch our programming. Attend our events. Become a member. Join one of our trips. Advocate for local journalism, storytelling, educational programming and lifelong learning. Share the stories that move you. All of it matters.
For those who want to make a philanthropic investment, there are many options—from making a gift to the station or a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA to including Kansas City PBS in your estate plans. You can even support the station through gifts of vehicles or real estate.
And if you’re not sure what giving might look like for you, that’s where I’d love to connect.
My role isn’t to begin by asking, “How much would you like to give?” I’d rather ask, “What do you care about?”
If you value independent local journalism, stories that reflect our community, arts and culture, educational resources, or lifelong learning, then we already have something meaningful to talk about.
Kansas City PBS belongs to this community, and there are countless ways to help ensure it remains strong for generations to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kansascitypbs.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcpt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kansascitypbs
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-shannon-6016ab8/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KansasCityPBS
