COLLEGE RADIO FOUNDATION INC

What COLLEGE RADIO FOUNDATION INC does

The College Radio Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in New Jersey in February 2014 that supports non-commercial college radio through global events, grants, and student-focused initiatives. The Foundation is governed by a small Board of Directors and operates with 1-10 employees, with the bulk of its workforce comprising volunteers who organize flagship events. Its headquarters is in Hewitt, New Jersey (P.O. Box 107), and it holds IRS-recognized tax-exempt public charity status. The Foundation was conceived by Dr. Rob Quicke (General Manager of WPSC FM at William Paterson University), and its flagship World College Radio Day program has run annually since 2011, growing from 365 stations in its first year to participation by over 1,100 stations across 57 countries cumulatively, with 700+ stations in 50+ countries currently active.

The organization runs three primary programs: College Radio Day/World College Radio Day (an annual awareness event, with the 16th edition scheduled for October 2, 2026 under the theme 'HOPE - Always In The Air!'), the College Radio Fund (a grants program that has awarded over 43 grants to stations and students for equipment, licensing, conference attendance, and promotional events), and College Radio Day Records (a student-run record label releasing compilation albums featuring unreleased songs from artists such as Passenger, Wilco, The Civil Wars, Lucius, and Blues Traveler, with proceeds directed to the College Radio Fund). Secondary programs include Vinylthon (an annual vinyl-only broadcast celebration now in its 11th year, with nearly 250 participating stations in 2026), The College Radio Society (a monthly membership program for alumni at $3 Standard / $6 Founder levels), and BBC Introducing in America (a partnership with BBC Introducing launched December 2025 at 90.3 FM WUTK, University of Tennessee).

Revenue is generated primarily through event sponsorships with tiers ranging from $300 (Vinylthon Silver) to $5,000 (World College Radio Day Presenting Sponsor), recurring membership dues, merchandise sales, and College Radio Day Records releases; the Foundation then redistributes funds to stations through the College Radio Fund and student scholarships. Operational partnerships with Hindenburg (free 1-year PRO audio editing licenses to students and stations), Live365 (streaming for the 24-Hour Global Marathon and WVYL Vinyl Radio), iHeartRadio (distribution for WVYL), Spinitron (playlist management), and BBC Introducing (content production) extend the Foundation's technical capabilities. The Foundation has received public endorsements from President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, and Queen Elizabeth II, and coverage in The New York Times, USA Today, TIME, SPIN, Billboard, and The Washington Post.

Name

COLLEGE RADIO FOUNDATION INC

Legal name

College Radio Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://collegeradio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The College Radio Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports non-commercial college radio through the annual World College Radio Day event, Vinylthon, station grants, and student programs, serving 700+ stations across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Radio Advocacy

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH), University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABADAD)

Keywords

• College radio support
• Nonprofit radio events
• Student broadcasting grants
• College radio awareness
• Radio station funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Hewitt

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorships: The CRF raises funds through sponsorship of events such as College Radio Day and Vinylthon. Sponsorship revenue supports station grants and scholarships for students. Tiers include Silver ($500), Gold ($1,000), Platinum ($2,000), and Presenting Sponsor ($5,000).
2. Membership Dues - The College Radio Society: Standard Membership at $3 per month and Founder's Membership at $6 per month. Members receive special member events throughout the year, official member pin, and access to alumni network.
3. Merchandise Sales: The store sells sponsorship packages and merchandise to support the organization and college radio stations.
4. Vinylthon Sponsorships: Vinylthon Silver sponsorship at $300 and Gold sponsorship at $500. Funds raised go to student scholarships and the College Radio Fund.
5. College Radio Day Records: A record label run by college radio students to raise funds for the College Radio Fund. Artists donate previously unreleased songs to College Radio Day albums. All proceeds go straight into the College Radio Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The College Radio Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports non-commercial college radio through annual awareness events (World College Radio Day and Vinylthon), financial grants distributed to college radio stations via the College Radio Fund, a student-run record label (College Radio Day Records), and an alumni membership society (The College Radio Society). It also co-produces BBC Introducing in America, a monthly radio show created with BBC Introducing in London. Participation in events is free for college and high school stations, while the foundation raises operating funds through event sponsorships, memberships, merchandise, and licensing.

Product overview

The College Radio Foundation operates as a unified platform supporting non-commercial college radio stations through three primary programs: College Radio Day (an annual international awareness event uniting 700+ stations in 50+ countries), Vinylthon (annual vinyl-only broadcast celebration), and the College Radio Fund (financial grants for stations). Additional offerings include College Radio Day Records (a student-run record label for fundraising), The College Radio Society (alumni membership program), BBC Introducing in America (partnership with BBC), the 24-Hour Global Marathon broadcast, and Spirit of College Radio Awards. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds through event sponsorship and distributes them directly to college radio stations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• College Radio Day Records: Record label run by college radio students to raise funds for the College Radio Fund, featuring releases with artists such as Passenger, Wilco, The Civil Wars, Lucius, and Blues Traveler
• Spirit of College Radio Awards
• The College Radio Society
• BBC Introducing in America
• College Radio Fund

Products and services

• World College Radio Day Annual international awareness event celebrating college radio, with free registration open to college and high school radio stations worldwide. The 16th annual event will unite 700+ stations in 50+ countries in October 2026.
• Vinylthon Annual celebration of vinyl records in which participating college radio stations broadcast special programming played entirely from vinyl records. The 11th annual Vinylthon takes place April 18-19, 2026, with nearly 250 stations.
• College Radio Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 43 grants to college radio stations and students distributed through the College Radio Fund
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• iHeartRadiocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2026WVYL Vinyl Radio joined iHeartRadio as a streaming channel, making the curated vinyl-only programming available to iHeart's wider audience following popular demand.
• BBC IntroducingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2025The College Radio Foundation partnered with BBC Introducing in London to create the first BBC radio show created by college radio in the USA. The program launched in Tennessee on December 5, 2025, hosted from 90.3 FM WUTK at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Each monthly show features local Tennessee artists plus a UK artist, with the intention of expanding to more states across America.
• HindenburgcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHindenburg provides FREE 1-year PRO licenses to every WCRD student, faculty, staff, department, and station. Founded in 2009, Hindenburg creates intuitive audio editing software for storytellers. 'It's all about the Story!'
• Live365coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLive365 is a network of 5000+ internet radio stations run by real people, not generated by computers. Hosts the WCRD 24-hour marathon broadcast and WVYL Vinyl Radio pop-up station.
• Old Westbury Web Radio (OWWR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWWR at SUNY Old Westbury broadcast 48 consecutive hours of vinyl-only programming as part of Vinylthon weekend. WVYL Vinyl Radio simulcast this marathon as a highlight of Vinylthon.
• Record Store DayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVinylthon aligns with Record Store Day, creating a joint celebration of vinyl records and independent music retail alongside college radio's vinyl-only programming.
• Coldplay (Chris Martin)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerColdplay's Chris Martin launched College Radio Day 2011 and has publicly stated support: 'College radio is the future for broadcasting stars and pioneers of tomorrow.'

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Intercollegiate Broadcasting System: National nonprofit association serving college and high school radio stations with membership, awards, and an annual conference. Highly comparable to CRF as both organizations exist to support and advocate for the campus radio ecosystem.
• College Broadcasters Inc. Nonprofit organization of college radio and television stations that runs conferences, awards, and advocacy programs for student broadcasters. Directly comparable to CRF's mission of supporting and elevating college broadcasting.
• Broadcast Education Association (BEA): Academic association for professors, students, and professionals in electronic media and broadcasting, with strong ties to college radio and TV programs. Comparable as an education-and-broadcasting-focused nonprofit serving the same student-media community.
• Public Radio Exchange (PRX): Nonprofit public media distribution platform that produces, distributes, and monetizes audio content for public radio stations. Comparable to CRF as a mission-driven nonprofit operating in the public radio ecosystem with content distribution and station-support functions.

Broad incumbents

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): Large U.S. nonprofit that funds public radio and television stations, including many college-licensed stations. Comparable as a higher-level funding and advocacy body for noncommercial public broadcasting, though at significantly greater scale than CRF.
• NPR (National Public Radio): The largest nonprofit public radio network in the U.S., funded by member stations, sponsorships, and donations. Comparable business model (nonprofit, sponsor-supported public radio) though at vastly larger scale and broader scope than CRF.
• KEXP: Non-commercial listener-supported radio station and music discovery platform with strong ties to independent and college radio culture. Comparable as a nonprofit public radio organization that champions indie music discovery similar to CRF's College Radio Day Records label.

Regional players

• WFMU: Long-running listener-supported independent freeform non-commercial radio station with strong college-radio-adjacent culture. Comparable in nonprofit, sponsor-supported public radio model and emphasis on independent programming.

Others

• Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA): Professional association supporting broadcast and digital journalism, including student members at college radio and TV stations. Adjacent peer serving overlapping student-broadcaster community through training, awards, and advocacy.
• Future of Music Coalition: Nonprofit research, education, and advocacy organization for musicians and independent music communities. Adjacent peer in the nonprofit-music-media space with overlapping interests in artist development and college/indie radio promotion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/5557677490934349

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about COLLEGE RADIO FOUNDATION INC