04/04/2026
Quote: "Trust is not simply a perception; it is something that develops through long-term relationships between institutions and the communities they serve. For community radio stations, that relationship is built every day through local programming, volunteer participation, and community engagement. In that sense, community radio helps form part of the civic infrastructure that communities rely on for information, dialogue, and connection."
- National Federation of Community Broadcasters, 2026.04.02
In my roughly eight years volunteering for two local community radio stations, I've experienced the wonderful bond between the organizations and their devoted community members. Devotion could be simply donating, volunteering to host a weekly show, helping in the front-office, or perhaps advocating and fundraising.
One station participated in the city's annual celebration; I'll always remember walking alongside our station's float - an old flatbed with longtime volunteer DJs waving and jamming together with their battery-powered guitar amps. As we rounded the corner, parade-goers lit up and greeted us with the warmest cheers and applause. They knew us, and we knew them.
The other station sold its legendary pulled pork plates and sandwiches at the city's annual fall carnival. People looked for our booth each year, greeted their favorite DJs and chatted with us as plates were being prepared. When I asked someone what was their favorite weekly show and music genre, I often heard "all of it." Our community trusted us to introduce them to excellent music they might otherwise not hear.
While public broadcasting is currently at risk due to funding challenges, enough people appreciate its value to support their favorite stations directly. I hope community radio will survive and thrive in an era where trust is a most-valued asset.
Trust has long been a defining value of the nonprofit sector. It grows through service, relationships, and a commitment to the public good. Today, leaders and researchers across the nonprofit and leadership sectors are having broad conversations about how trust should be understood as more than a vi...
