CapRadio’s collaborative fundraising campaign for Give Sac State Day is dedicated to building new fund to empower students, benefit community
Sacramento, CA — Feb. 25, 2026: Two of the region's long-time, leading entities today announced an innovative initiative designed to expand real-world student experiences while strengthening the future of local public media. CapRadio and Sacramento State launched their partnership with an eye on serving students and the community for years to come.
Designed by CapRadio, the Public Media and Student Advancement fund is rooted in the shared public service missions of both institutions. The partnership with Sac State represents an integrated, long-term funding model that connects student advancement with the evolution of public media to deliver lasting educational, civic and cultural benefits for the Sacramento community.
“We are thrilled to launch this bold new initiative for Give Sac State Day to raise funds and develop a self-sustaining program that builds the workforce of tomorrow and invigorates innovation in public media,” said Chris Bruno, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at CapRadio. “Through this unprecedented fundraising collaboration with Sac State, we hope to inspire support for this endeavor by leveraging the combined reach of two anchor institutions that are focused on delivering meaningful, long-term community impact.”
CapRadio — having pioneered a sustainable business model rooted in community support for its own operations over the past two years — brings its innovative approach to this program’s structure to maximize impact over time. Coupled with Sac State’s presence and leadership in the community, the collaborative funding approach offers a new take on investing in the future.
“This partnership reflects what is possible when education and public media come together around a shared responsibility to create lasting impact by serving students and the community,” said Michael Reza, Vice President of Advancement at Sac State. “Through this collaborative effort for Give Sac State Day, we can offer more students an opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and experience working at a renowned local public media organization while developing their own career pathways.”
Advancing Education Through Real-World Experience
The funding partnership unites CapRadio and Sac State around a common goal: creating a long-term way to fund immersive, hands-on learning experiences that prepare students for their future careers while advancing innovation in public media.
Through structured opportunities embedded within CapRadio’s operations, Sac State students will gain practical experience in journalism, storytelling, audience engagement, live experiences and community-centered programming. These integrated roles allow students to apply classroom learning in real-time, contribute to trusted local media and help shape how public radio connects with the region.
Delivering Lasting Community Impact
Early community investment through Give Sac State Day will officially launch this sustainable student program, supporting the next generation of professionals while enhancing CapRadio’s capacity to deliver responsive, community-driven content and engagement. Give Sac State Day offers a moment where community support directly determines what opportunities are possible for students preparing to lead and serve the Sacramento community.
CapRadio is working to grow its main student internship program, which has already welcomed seven participants since it launched in 2024. These paid internships offer an opportunity for students to work directly in their field of interest for 6-12 months. Past internships have included experiences in local journalism, music programming and more.
In the fall of 2025, CapRadio launched another student program in partnership with Associated Students, Inc. at Sacramento State called the Public Radio Experience. This paid internship offers a unique opportunity for students to spend a semester rotating through several departments to experience different professional areas of interest.
Three of the station's new hires completed internships with the station, including former Sac State student Greg Micek who was recently featured on NPR for his coverage of the Northern California avalanche near Lake Tahoe.
A Purpose-Driven, Sustainable Model
Both institutions recognize the importance of building forward-looking programs that are resilient, adaptable and not reliant on uncertain government funding streams. CapRadio’s nationally recognized community-supported funding model, combined with Sac State’s commitment to student success and workforce development, forms the foundation of this innovative funding approach.
Central to the initiative is the creation of the new Public Media and Student Advancement fund, a dedicated, restricted fund established by CapRadio to directly support student internships, hands-on learning and innovation in local public media. Community contributions flow directly into the fund, ensuring investments are targeted toward student advancement and the tools, training and experimentation needed to strengthen public media for the future. This scalable model ensures community support delivers tangible returns for students, audiences and the region as a whole.
Together, CapRadio and Sac State are pioneering a new model for how education and public media can work in partnership to build opportunity, foster innovation and serve the community for years to come.
Learn more at CapRadio.org/Give.
About CapRadio
CapRadio is a mission-driven public media organization that exists to create more informed, involved and educated communities. It is the only nonprofit broadcaster in the region that operates a 20-person local newsroom and develops locally-produced news, classical music and jazz shows. It connects with communities through 32 radio broadcast towers, live streaming, newsletters, on-demand audio, live experiences and more. CapRadio is recognized for its fact-based, nonpartisan news coverage, state politics and government accountability reporting that is aired daily by NPR stations throughout California, hyperlocal community-engaged journalism and locally-hosted classical music and jazz programs. Each week, nearly 500,000 people in the greater Sacramento region choose CapRadio as a valued source of news, storytelling, music and events. It is an auxiliary organization of Sacramento State University. More at capradio.org.
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CONTACT:
Emmy Gilbert
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