Sonshine surpasses $1 million for the first time in annual EOFY appeal

Sonshine's Planting Hope Together team

Perth community broadcaster Sonshine FM has reached a major milestone, with its annual End of Financial Year Planting Hope Together appeal raising more than $1 million for the first time in the station’s history.

The result not only exceeded the station’s $980,000 fundraising target but also set a new benchmark in Sonshine’s 38-year history, highlighting the strong support the community continues to have for positive, family-friendly media in Perth.

Over the past three years, Sonshine says its monthly audience has grown from approximately 225,000 to more than 351,000 people, with a vision of reaching 500,000 people each month by 2030.

Sonshine CEO Michael Pailthorpe said the record result reflected the value the community places on a trusted source of hope, encouragement and positive content.

“To exceed one million dollars for the first time is an incredible milestone, but what excites us most isn’t the number itself – it’s what that generosity represents.”

“At a time when many people are feeling the pressures of rising living costs and increasing uncertainty, our community has said very clearly that hope, encouragement and positive media matter.”

“Reaching this milestone means we can continue building on that momentum and extending our positive impact across Perth in the years ahead.”

The campaign was supported by RAMP Media, which partnered with Sonshine on survey strategy, content creation and digital amplification.

This strategic and creative approach helped sharpen Sonshine’s campaign message, strengthen its internal delivery and extend powerful listener stories to new audiences across digital platforms.

RAMP Media Managing Director Phil Vinciullo said “The campaign’s strength came from a clear strategy, disciplined execution and a shared focus on real listener impact.” Creative Director Marcel Marais added: “By turning authentic stories into high-impact digital content, the campaign expanded its reach, deepened community engagement and gave more people a compelling reason to act.”

The Planting Hope Together campaign centred on authentic stories from listeners whose lives have been positively impacted by Sonshine, reinforcing the role the station continues to play in providing encouragement, companionship and hope to people from all walks of life.

Images supplied.