Support ESS
Who and what will you support in 2025? ESS works with artists in Chicago and internationally to create space for experimentation, new sounds, and community through listening. If this work is part of a world you’d like to live in, we hope you’ll back that vision up with a financial contribution that’s right for you.
25% of our annual budget comes from modest individual donations ($5–$50). This support directly pays people in our community—nearly 80% of our expenses go to artists, engineers, curators, fellows, contractors, and our small but mighty staff.
What it means to “Plug-In”
When you donate, you can opt to be a Plugged-In Supporter to deepen your connection to ESS and our incredible creative community. Each year, you’ll get:
- A special live performance
- A networking/skill-sharing event
- A field trip
- Quarterly virtual “happy hours” with artist talks, performances, and more
- Monthly newsletters with exclusive listening selections and opportunities to share your work
Studio Group members get all of this plus invitations to special field trips to studios throughout Chicago.
All donations are 100% tax deductible, no matter how you choose to engage.
More Ways to Support
Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)
Experimental Sound Studio is set up as a charitable organization on most DAF platforms (EIN: 36-3482714). You can also donate from your DAF directly via our online form.
Employee Matching Gifts
Double your support by securing a matching contribution from your employer. Corporations that provide matching support will be recognized on ESS’s website. Find out if your employer provides matching gifts here.
Corporate Support
As a Corporate Donor, your support is more than a donation—it is an investment in the legacy and future of improvised music. ESS is happy to work with its Corporate Sponsors to tailor a benefits package that best suits their community goals and directives.
In-Kind Donations
ESS gladly accepts support in the form of donated services, products, and promotions that help supplement our programming.
Please contact us at olivia@ess.org or 773-998-1069 with questions or for more information.