NPR Illinois Spring Fund Drive
Our mission is to explain Illinois. We do that by informing, analyzing, and engaging our listeners — all while upholding the principles and integrity of public journalism.
In return, we ask for your support to help us achieve our mission. And you can help NPR Illinois in a big way by donating right now during our annual spring drive.
Longtime listeners Linda Castleman and Mike Zia will match spring drive gifts until we reach our $50,000 goal. Simply put: If we can raise $50,000 from listeners like you, they will gift us another $50,000.
This amazing opportunity comes as public media outlets like NPR Illinois face challenges to our federal funding. We’ve also had other revenue sources we rely on reduced.
Funding from people like you provides the programming that matters all day, every day. Your generosity allows us to serve OUR community.
What can your gift mean? When it comes to NPR network programming:
- $360 pays for one episode of Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!
- $180 pays for the fees for one day of Morning Edition
- $125 pays for the fees for one day of All Things Considered
- $90 pays for one day of Fresh Air
- $70 pays for one day of Here & Now
- $3 pays for one top-of-the-hour NPR newscast
... and that doesn't count the cost of labor or technology to deliver it to you! A pair of headphones used by on-air talent can run $80 each, and a new microphone for one of the studios comes in at $449 each. There are unexpected expenses like equipment repairs too.
Your gifts truly power our work. Help us thrive by making your gift now.
Thanks to you, we have surpassed our spring drive goal! We aimed to raise $50,000 in order to get the $50,000 match, and we have raised $55,000 so far, plus the match, to give us $106,000 as of this writing. We are celebrating at the studios this morning. Gifts are still being accepted to go toward the drive. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Kate McKenzie
Director of Development for NPR Illinois
We are grateful for the gifts that have come in this week. We hope to hit our $50,000 goal today, to capture the entire $50,000 match. If you haven't given yet, please consider making your gift TODAY! Your support means so much to us here at NPR Illinois.
Kate McKenzie
Director of Development for NPR Illinois
You continue to impress us with your generosity! Thank you for supporting our work here at NPR Illinois. We remain grateful for all your kind words and donations.
Kate McKenzie
Director of Development for NPR Illinois
WOW! We're more than halfway there. I cannot tell you how grateful everyone at NPR Illinois is to see this support coming through. My phone has been ringing off the hook and I have loved talking with our listeners about what the station means to them. THANK YOU for supporting us during this time. The drive lasts through Friday, May 9. Checks that are received by Memorial Day are also being included in this drive. We are updating this page with checks that come in every day.
Kate McKenzie, Director of Development
5 days ago by Kate McKenzieWelcome to the spring drive! Thank you to everyone who has given during our first day of this very important effort. I have added in those amazing donors who mailed in a gift after receiving our first letter in the mail for this drive. Thank you for being among our first donors!
Kate McKenzie, director of development for NPR Illinois
10 days ago by Kate McKenzieDonors
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