The Debs Memorial Radio Fund launched its fundraising campaign with a mailing of 15,000 letters soliciting funds for the establishment of a Socialist Party-owned radio station. This first round of solicitation brought in just over $2650 — barely more than 1% of the declared goal $250,000 sought for the project. The Radio Fund's trustees estimated cost of launching a station at $100,000 and hoped to invest the balance to generate sufficient interest income to allow for perpetual operations. While this grand vision of substantial funding proved overly optimistic, the necessary funds for the acquisition of a station were successfully raised from party members and sympathetic labor unions during the first half of 1927.