We’re now one week into the Santa Cruz Gives fundraising event, which runs until Dec. 31. Good Times writer DNA shares why he supports KSQD; following that, other participating nonprofits who also seek funds share their “elevator pitch.”

KSQD Community Radio is one of the last sources of unadulterated, unedited, unfiltered information, news and music in America. Numbers are hard to pin down, but there are currently around 1,500 community radio stations in our country that don’t pump out pointless propaganda, predictable nonsense and divisive drivel.

Sure, you can continue to only listen to your favorite Spotify lists, but Spotify is now accepting money from and running ads for ICE. You don’t have to worry about that with KSQD. (You can hear KSQD at 90.7, 89.5, 89.7 FM or ksqd.org.)

This year, Congress cut more than $1 billion of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Funding that was previously allocated. Which might be illegal, but in any case, it’s not coming back anytime soon. It’s gone. Poof.

That crucial money, our tax dollars, went to support things like transmitters, towers and satellites for distribution. In real-world terms, that means fewer places to hear the emergency alerts in dangerous weather situations and other extreme circumstances. If/when the internet goes down, community radio stations are one of the few sources for information about what is going on outside your home.

We have not reached the point where one corporation owns all the radio stations in the USA, but it’s not out of the question. Seems like just one or two billionaires could seal that deal.

You might be surprised to know that even in countries where the press clamps down on controlling the narrative of the ruling class—like Hungary and Russia—there are community radio stations. But it’s highly doubtful any of those have the wide assortment of differing opinions that KSQD does.

Back in 2018, Natural Bridges Media (which was started by locals concerned that without KUSP, our region was thin with progressive bandwidth) was granted nonprofit status. In February 2019, KSQD went live on the air, through grants and gracious donors.

KSQD believes that now is the time to defend, not defund, community broadcasting.The station runs with only three part-time employees, plus a volunteer board of directors and a squadron of DJ programers who bring a wide net of exciting shows.

From Fremont to Carmel, KSQD is blasting the air, and internet waves, with programs that feature psychedelic tunes, Italian music, bossa nova Brazilian songs, Indian ragas, the funkiest beats, and even a show that features opera. Locally produced talk shows take on in-depth topics like the state of education, the latest important books, tips on gardening, general life around the Monetary Bay and the elusive nature of dreams.

And KSQD is dedicated to being a vital part of the Santa Cruz experience, hosting booths at events around town where you can meet, face-to-face, some of your favorite radio programmers. Thereby making human connections and fostering community.

By giving to KSQD you can help ensure that they can continue to make important connections between our diverse communities, throughout the greater Monterey Bay Area.

COMMUNITY-BUILDING NONPROFIT GROUPS

MENtors—“Behind every thriving child is an engaged mentor (father or father-figure) and a connected community—and that’s what MENtors Driving Change is all about. Our Santa Cruz Gives campaign shows readers the human side of hope, healing and leadership growing right here in Santa Cruz County from our boys, men and dads.” —Deutron Kebebew, founder/executive director

Positive Discipline Community Resources—“Join our global Positive Discipline movement to build respectful relationships and help us resource local parents and caregivers! We consistently receive more requests than we can fill. Our big idea is to bring LESS STRESS AND MORE JOY to over 1,000 families across our county with 100% free-to-families Positive Discipline programming.” —Stephanie Barron Lu, executive director

Queer Youth Task Force’s Trans Teen Project—“By creating documentaries and radio shows featuring trans teens, and empowering trans mentors through their partnership with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Trans Teen Project will provide a sense of love and community that will help make Santa Cruz County safer for trans, non-binary and gender-expansive youth.” —Stuart Rosenstein, chair, Queer Youth Task Force

Resource Center for Nonviolence—“Standing Together Against Hate in Our Schools uses a restorative, curiosity-driven framework to transform the culture beneath the bullying. We empower teachers and students to address harm through healing and dialogue, fostering school cultures where everyone—from those who have caused harm to those affected—can learn, grow, and truly belong.” —Gail Valker

Santa Cruz Black—Formed after the police murder of George Floyd, Santa Cruz Black aims to create a life-giving community garden, enabling local Black residents to cultivate the foods of our families/ancestors. To address Black food insecurity, with Black residents constituting 12% of Santa Cruz’s unhoused population, we will establish a communal farm using donated land.” —Cheryl M. Williams and Christine Hong

Senior Legal Services—“Most of the people who come to us are alone, with no family to turn to. We become that support system, walking with them every step of the way. We can’t do this without our community. Your support makes justice possible for those who need it most.” —Richard Eisendorf, director of development and communications

Teen Kitchen Project—“Funding received from the Santa Cruz Gives campaign will provide over 1,200 individuals impacted by serious illness with 230,000 meals in 2026 and help TKP continue engaging local youth in building life skills and promoting long-term healthy eating habits while building a healthier, more connected community.” —Lauren Turner, development coordinator

Village Santa Cruz County—“During a crisis, a natural disaster or a medical emergency, the last thing you want is to be scrambling for essential documents which may or may not exist. Village Santa Cruz County, a peer support network for aging better, will raise funds to purchase the license, materials and to run community workshops for Gathering Information for Transitions, a proven method for organizing vital information in one easily accessible location.” —Mary Howe