We got a call from WDET saying we need to make another donation this year, because their transmitter failed and they need to buy another one.

I understand the need, but they knew the transmitter was going to eventually fail, and, apparently, new equipment purchases are not part of their operating budget? I don't understand how this works.

If you know they have a 20-year life span, you stash away $10,000 a year and, when 20 years are up, you can buy a new one, right?

The company I work for does this with server equipment. Every few years they budget out replacing old servers with new ones, stretching that lump-sum cost over several years, so they don't have a million dollar budget hole one year, and have to sell bonds or stock. Also, they do this pro-actively. They don't wait for servers to fail before replacing them.

is WDET not allowed to budget this way or something?