Meredith Shiner (@meredithshiner.com)

@wbez.org announces it raised $3.7 million dollars, including $2.6 million in recurring donations, after the federal government pulled $3 million in funding. Nearly 21,000 Chicagoans pitched in and 86% of the government's annual contribution has been replaced with recurring donations.

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When federal funding for public media was clawed back this summer, it created an unexpected $3 million hole in our budget — money that helped pay for reporters, programs and coverage across our region. For more than 50 years, we’ve relied on that federal support to operate — and its sudden loss wasn’t a one-time hit. It ended a dependable source of annual funding that we had counted on every single year. Then something remarkable happened. Chicago didn’t sit back. You stepped up. More than 20,800 people came together to protect independent journalism. Together, you gave over $3.7 million, including $2.6 million in recurring gifts. That’s transformative for Chicago Public Media. Because of you, we’ve already replaced 86% of the annual funding we lost with committed, recurring community support that renews year after year. Think about that. You replaced nearly all of what Congress took away. It’s a steady foundation we can build on, one that lets us focus on what matters most: delivering trusted, fact-based reporting for everyone in Chicago. Because of you, the programming and reporting Chicago depends on will continue without interruption. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times are more independent, and, now more than ever, powered by the people we serve. There’s more to do, but we’re back on solid ground. And that’s something worth celebrating together. Now we can turn our focus to what’s next. This moment gives us the space to breathe, plan and move forward with the bold vision we had before this setback — to grow, innovate and expand how we serve our region. To realize our vision for Chicago Public Media, we’ll need to build toward true financial sustainability. To get there, we’ve set an ambitious goal of doubling our membership over the next five years, by building a 100% community-funded model that’s stable, independent and laser-focused on serving you. Even with the success of our efforts to replace federal funding, we know the challenges for journalism aren’t over. Sustaining a newsroom that reflects and informs this city will always take all of us — listeners, readers and neighbors — standing together to protect this essential public service. At the end of the day, the future of local journalism doesn’t depend on Washington. It depends on Chicago. It depends on you. Thank you for proving, once again, that when Chicago is tested, we rise. With deep gratitude, https://view.email.wbez.org/?qs=51ac2e37ce3b593f06f4e74eb4fe5d73e056fbaa5c1d7fbdcb517b34045fb47c5a6b2b8c5586d76e9331fbf2df5355327935f6f693a92db45e3a8bb4bbbde8db28f8b7d7c9dfce7f24d0f384ebb1221f