FAQ

General

What is a radiothon?
A combination of radio and marathon, a radiothon is like a telethon: a live broadcast over many hours with the purpose of raising funds for a charity, just on the radio. Marathon broadcasts for charity date back to at least 1949, when Milton Berle staged the first one on TV for cancer research. The Jerry Lewis telethon, which began in the mid-1960s to fight muscular dystrophy, is perhaps one of the most well-known efforts.

This year's Annual SAY Detroit Radiothon will run for 15 hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

What is SAY Detroit?
SAY Detroit is a fully formed 501(c) (3) charity aimed at improving the lives of the neediest citizens, through shelter, food, medical care, volunteer efforts and education. It serves as the umbrella for ongoing major projects including SAY Play Center, SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic, Working Homes/Working Families, and A Time to Help. SAY Detroit was formed in February 2006, after Mitch Albom went public with a plea to do as much for the homeless all winter as the city was doing over a Super Bowl weekend. He spent a night in a shelter to call attention to the issue. The response was overwhelming, and SAY (Super All Year Detroit) was born. Learn more about what SAY Detroit has made possible with your support at saydetroit.org.

Where can I listen or watch?
The SAY Detroit Radiothon is broadcast on WJR 760 AM, the home of The Mitch Albom Show. A live video feed is also streaming on facebook.com/SAYDetroit. wjr.com, and clickondetroit.com. You can also watch on your smart TV through the My Michigan TV app. Local Detroit TV station WDIV will also be running cut-ins to the live broadcast throughout the day. If you can’t watch or listen at work, you can follow live updates on Facebook, on Instagram and on Twitter with #SAYDetroit and #radiothon.

Donations

How can I donate?
Donating is easy. You can donate by phone by calling 1-855-955-4483 or online using this form. You can also participate in the radiothon by bidding on an auction item or “buying” one of the incentive premiums.

If you’d prefer to send a check, you can mail one to SAY Detroit, 29836 Telegraph Road, Southfield MI 48034. Please indicate "Radiothon" in the memo line.

If you’re able to stop by the Northside Grand Court of the Somerset Collection, you can make a donation in-person or purchase a signed copy of Mitch Albom’s new book, "The Stranger in the Lifeboat" and the proceeds will benefit SAY Detroit. If you're shopping at Somerset that day, please stop by our Brown Bag Popcorn store on the third floor and pick up tins of delicious popcorn for your friends and family - all profits go to SAY Detroit.

Are my donations tax-deductible?
SAY Detroit is a fully-formed 501(c)(3) charity. All donations are tax-deductible. You will receive a receipt by email when you make a donation using this form, purchase an incentive item, win an auction, or donate by phone when you provide an email address to the call center. Please be sure to check your spam folder.

Please note, however, that your federal income tax deduction for your contribution for any auction or incentive items is the amount of your contribution minus the value of the items you receive. We will provide all necessary information when you receive your receipt. Please contact a tax professional for any assistance regarding nonprofit tax deductions.

If you do not receive a receipt by February 1, please email radiothon@saydetroit.org.

I don’t understand the Tax Document in my online account. Can you explain?

If you are logged in and participated in the radiothon using your online account to make a donation, auction, or incentive item purchase, a receipt is also available under “Tax Info” in My Account (or by clicking here). You can print this page as your donation receipt as well.

Note: This feature is only available if you made your donation, won an auction, or purchased an incentive item using your online account.

A sample document can be viewed here.

Will I receive a receipt when I win an auction or make a donation?
You will receive a receipt by email when you donate using this form and when you make a pledge by the phone (you must provide a valid email address at the time of your donation). You will also receive a receipt when you purchase an incentive premium or when you win an auction.

If you do not receive a receipt, please email radiothon@saydetroit.org.

What charge will I receive on my credit card?
The line item on your billing statement will show “SAY Detroit.”

How is my donation used?
Every dollar of your gift goes directly into the daily operational needs of the causes and persons profiled during the SAY Detroit Radiothon and at www.saydetroit.org. No salaries are paid for any of the directors or board members of our charities.

Our aim is to be financially transparent, so that you can understand where your generous donations are going. To this end, you can read more about our commitment to financial transparency here.

Each spring following the annual radiothon, funds are distributed to various organizations at a public press conference. To learn more about past distributions, see: 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022.

Is my information safe?
Yes, you are donating though a secure site.

Auctions

How do I bid on an item?

To place your first bid: Once you’ve looked through the list of items available here and found an auction item on which you’d like to bid, please select “bid now” to the right of the item. You will then be asked to register for the site with an email address (which is your username), your name, mailing address (so that items can be sent to you), phone number, and a password. Once registered, you will be asked to enter a bid amount and provide your payment information. You will only need to enter your payment information once. You must click "process" in order to complete your bid.

To place a second bid on the same item: You will receive a notification by phone, email, or both (as indicated in your preferences) if you have been outbid. Return to the item and place a new bid.

To place a bid on another item: Please navigate to the item you would like to bid on and click "bid now." You will only need to enter your payment information once.

Is my credit card charged every time I place a bid?
No. Your credit card is only charged if you win the auction. If you do not win an auction in which you participated, please consider making a donation or bidding on another item. Every bit helps.

What happens if I am outbid?
You will receive a notification by email that your bid has been exceeded. If the auction is still open, you can place another bid.

When will I receive my item?
Your items will be shipped to you.

When do auctions close?
Auctions open and close throughout the day and there is no listed or announced end time for auctions in advance. Warning of auction closings are occassionally announced live on air. Do not wait to bid if you're interested in an item or experience, and keep an eye on your outbid notifications.

I won the auction! What happens next?
Congrats, and thank you! You should have received a notice that you won the auction. If your auction was for a physical item, your item will be shipped to you at the address provided to the call center or in your online account. A volunteer will follow up with you by email or phone with updates if the item is not in our immediate possession (for example, an unexpected donation offered by a celebrity guest during their live appearance). If your auction was for an "experience," a volunteer will follow up by email or phone with updates and details.

If for any reason payment is not received in a timely manner, we reserve the right to cancel your highest bid. We will offer the item to the next highest bidder (and so on) until a new highest bid is confirmed. We will make every attempt to notify you regarding nonpayment with the contact information provided, but your prize will be forfeit.

Incentives

What is an incentive item?
Offered as “thank you” premiums, you can select a specific item you would like to receive for making a pledge to the radiothon. You can view the list of available incentives here.

Please note that if you would like to receive an incentive item and are making a qualifying donation by phone, you must specifically ask the volunteer operator for that incentive item.

When will I receive my item?
Your items will be shipped to you.

Is there a limit to how many incentive items I can buy?
Because of limited quantities, any limitations on items you can select will be noted on the individual incentive item page.

An incentive item I wanted is no longer listed. Can I get it?
As incentive items sell out, they are no longer listed as available. Our inventory is limited to what is listed and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

*Please note, however, that your federal income tax deduction for your contribution for any auction or incentive items is the amount of your contribution minus the value of the premiums you receive. We will provide all necessary information when you receive your receipt.