Greetings Fans of CHIRP:

It’s lucky 13 for me!

February marked the 15th anniversary of a community based independent radio station called CHIRP. I joined the organization in 2012 and shortly thereafter, I was awarded a weekly radio show that quickly became “The Friday Afternoon Happy Hour.” It’s hard to believe that in May, I will have been hanging out with listeners nearly every Friday afternoon for the past 13 years.

In addition to my show, I am also one of three Music Directors, part of 250 volunteers that keep the station running. We’re a dedicated bunch who are passionate about music, radio, and the Chicago scene. We’re focused on offering music that one cannot hear on commercial stations. Even though the focus is music, we also know it is important to support other non-profit organizations around the city.

Unfortunately, the dedication of our volunteers doesn’t pay the bills. We have rent, streaming costs, equipment maintenance, licensing, and listener focused projects such as revamping our equipment in the air and production studios (thanks to your generous donations in 2024!)  This year it is a complete redesign and rebuilding of our web site and mobile app to improve our listeners’ experience!

We don’t have commercials on our station to pay the bills. We just come to you a couple of weeks in the Spring and Fall to ask for your support. Ask yourself, would you rather listen to 20 minutes of commercials per hour or support the station during one of our pledge drives? Your contribution helps us to focus on MUSIC! Please consider a tax-deductible donation in any amount at my personal pledge page. We have thank you gifts at different giving levels (see the images below.) There’s also a special Vinyl Circle for our top donors.

Want all three of the thank you gifts? Give $33 a month or $360 and they are yours!

Thanks so much for your past incredible support and continued support for CHIRP!

Help us celebrate fifteen years of CHIRP!

It's hard to believe that it's been a decade and a half since we launched the station! Some things have changed a lot, but what's stayed the same is our commitment to bringing you live, local, commercial-free music programming lovingly curated by our DJs every single day, plus dozens of events that showcase our city's diverse music, arts and cultural scenes.

In 2025 we're celebrating our history while looking to the future, including rebuilding our website and mobile app into a sleek integrated web app that we know you'll love.

We are a truly independent, listener-supported station. Your generosity has helped us thrive over the past fifteen years, and will keep us going for decades to come.

If you believe CHIRP contributes meaningfully to the musical and cultural life of Chicago and want to make sure the station stays strong, please make a donation to show your support today. 

IMPORTANT: If you would like to become a sustaining member by making a recurring donation (monthly or quarterly), or if you want to select a thank you gift, please visit chirpradio.org/donatenow to make your contribution (and to give in support of the person making this post, be sure to type their full name in the "volunteer to credit" section so they can receive credit for your gift).

And if you're interested in joining CHIRP's major donor program, The Vinyl Circle, with a gift of $500 or above, please use this form.