Support independent community radio in Chicago!

CHIRP Radio has been Chicago's independent community radio station for over a decade now. And we continue to be there for you every single day, live and local, supporting Chicago artists, non-profits, small businesses, and connecting our community through good times and challenging ones. And it's that time again for us to raise funds to keep this indie radio station running! We'd love your support in whatever you can give to help support community radio in Chicago.

We are a listener-supported, all volunteer-driven community radio station with 250 volunteers. But CHIRP is not just a radio station playing music - CHIRP volunteers are out there in the community, promoting other arts organizations, tabling at concerts, interviewing local artists for our podcasts, and DJing events and street festivals. Things are obviously different during the pandemic but we're still here and doing what we can to bring you music and connect with our listeners as much as we can.

Why I Volunteer

Volunteering for CHIRP is really important for me because I believe in the importance of independent radio and independent voices. That means I volunteer my time, my money (I am a monthly sustaining member), and my skills (marketing strategy, copywriting, creating content, social media, reviewing music, and DJing & programming my weekly radio show).

In 2010, I discovered CHIRP Radio as a listener and then started volunteering for the station in 2015. For over 10 years, CHIRP has been my go-to station for discovering new (and old) music. It’s also the one station in town that has a strong focus on local Chicago music. Nowhere else can you hear an eclectic variety of commercial-free music played by live DJs - who select the songs they play - 7 days a week, 365 days a year at chirpradio.org. 

At CHIRP, I enjoy discovering new music and then sharing it with others each week as DJ. Since July 2016, I have been a DJ for CHIRP on Monday nights from 6pm-8pm and also volunteer as the station's Marketing Director, helping to get the word out about CHIRP. 

CHIRP is your community radio station.

Great music. No commercials. Real DJs. CHIRP is proud to provide you with live, local radio every single day, with passionate, curious DJs who love to share their musical discoveries.

Your generous support makes everything we do possible. Whether operating through a global pandemic or during normal times, we're always here for you: live, local, connecting you with your community. And as a listener-supported radio station, we rely on your generosity to keep the station strong, never beholden to corporate interests.

If you believe in this work, and if you're able, we hope you'll support CHIRP with a gift today.

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 CHIRP's main donation page 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).