A Family’s Commitment to Trusted Public Media

Nebraska Public Media donors Emily and Josh Egley turn their family’s appreciation for PBS and NPR into meaningful support.

When patients visit pediatric dentist Dr. Emily Egley, she sometimes recommends an unlikely resource to help ease their fears.

“There’s actually a Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood episode about going to the dentist,” she said. “The content is very real and very relevant.”

That accuracy isn’t by accident. The series producers consulted members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry to better understand what children experience during a dental visit.

“Knowing my profession is represented accurately to children, I’ve always appreciated that,” she said.

That same commitment to quality is one reason Emily and her husband, Josh, have supported Nebraska Public Media for more than a decade.

Now raising four children, the Egleys have watched public media become part of everyday family life. Their kids are growing up as PBS KIDS, while Josh and Emily listen to NPR on their commutes, stream Weekend Edition on weekends and enjoy Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! and Masterpiece whenever time allows.

“When we let our kids watch PBS KIDS, we know it’s going to be quality content,” Josh said.

Last year’s loss of federal funding inspired the longtime members to do more. “We knew there was a greater need for our support,” Josh said. “As consumers of the content, we felt obligated to help provide it.”

As assistant vice president for development at the University of Nebraska Foundation, Josh understands charitable giving strategies. Donating appreciated stock was a natural choice.

“It was the most tax-advantaged way for us to give while maximizing the amount of support we could provide,” he said.

Josh explained the process was straightforward, allowing them to take advantage of potential tax benefits while making a larger gift. “It’s not a complicated gift,” he said. “For many people with appreciated assets, it can be a better option than giving cash.”

For the Egleys, their giving reflects the same values that first drew them to public media: trusted information, educational programming and content that’s available to everyone.