Welcome to our new fundraising platform! We joined with the nonprofit Journalism Funding Partners to ensure that your donations to Big Picture Science are tax deductible. Givebutter will automatically email you a receipt for your records.

Information about contributing by check or through your DAF or QCD is below.

WHO WE ARE

Big Picture Science is a radio show and podcast that connects new ideas and research to reveal unexpected connections in science. We are broadcast on 150 radio stations and were one of the first science programs to become a podcast fifteen years ago.

Our interviews spark delight in science discovery and appreciation of the natural world. Whether we’re reporting on particle physics, astronomy, or evolutionary biology, we juxtapose interviews that make astonishing connections and reveal the big ideas shaping our world or present an extended discussion with a scientist that plumbs a new area of research.

We draw listeners into the world of science through surprising, even playful, conversations with researchers and journalists in themed one-hour episodes. By exploring the unexpected connections, workings, personalities, and curiosity that drive scientific research, we encourage listeners to connect more deeply to the world around them.

Our regular “Skeptic Check” episodes cast a critical eye on extraordinary science claims and pseudoscience.

WHY WE'RE REACHING OUT

It has been a year of significant change. Federal funding cuts have left public radio stations unable to serve their local communities and have stymied scientists, such as those predicting climate disasters or preparing for pandemics. Science education is imperiled as well.

The desire to cover the changing science landscape prompted Big Picture Science to become independent from our parent nonprofit organization, the SETI Institute, in January 2025. No longer tied to an organization, Big Picture Science is embracing our journalistic independence. We are dedicated to helping close the widening gap in science reporting and excited about the road ahead as an independent program. But without the financial safety net of a parent organization, we need the support of our listeners to continue.

More than ever, clear and accurate science reporting is essential to strengthen public education and help preserve democratic institutions. Many decisions about our collective future, whether about vaccine development or climate change mitigation, depend on a public informed about science.

The research people need to understand is often the hardest to explain, and yet science reporting, in proportion to reporting on politics or entertainment, is tiny and often considered niche. Good science journalism is a bulwark protecting public access to facts, describing the methods by which facts are determined, and correcting the bad information flooding the zone.

Carl Sagan warned of a time when society lost interest in the truth. No longer able to distinguish between what feels good and what is true, civilization could slip back into superstition and darkness. The U.S. is at that perilous moment now. Science education and research funding are under attack. Basic facts are contested.

Dr. Sagan also presented solutions. One was to increase enthusiasm for science and the sense of wonder it brings.

OUR GOALS

Your tax deductible donation allows our small, efficient team to continue producing deep dives into the latest developments in science and technology while strengthening our ability to cover the impacts of changing science policy -- whether it’s reduced funding to agencies that monitor hurricanes, rollbacks at the EPA, or cuts to research at the National Institutes of Health.

Our program is free of charge to radio networks, which include smaller and independent stations across the country. Your support is a giant help as they try to keep their broadcasts going.

This year, stations leaned on our three-part series about the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, recorded on location in New Orleans and at the National Hurricane Conference. Several also appreciated our episode Some Chemicals are Forever, about the scourge of PFAS.

In addition to continuing our current coverage, we hope to use funds to support emerging projects for Big Picture Science in 2026 such as:

Support our ability to do more of the on the ground reporting we focused on this year, such as our Katrina series and our bird flu and beaver episodes
Funding for a staff member to create and send a monthly newsletter that rounds up some of our favorite work, highlights emerging trends in science news, and breaks down exciting studies.
Provide outreach to radio stations, particularly smaller stations, to increase our visibility and audience as a science radio show and podcast.
Expanded production of Patreon bonus content, to encourage larger consistent donations

ABOUT OUR TEAM

Combined, our team has many decades of combined experience in science, radio, and journalism: a former BBC reporter; an astronomer; a science journalist; an award-winning investigative journalist; a pathobiologist and former PBS Newshour reporter, and a veteran public radio engineer.

We are grateful for the support and generosity of our listeners over the years and hope you’ll join us on this new endeavor!

CONTACT US:

To keep up with the latest from Big Picture Science, and enjoy ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/bigpicturescience

Note that donations to Patreon, unlike to Journalism Funding Partners on this platform, are not tax-deductible.

If you would like to get in touch with the team about story ideas or questions about your donation, please reach out to bigpicturescience@gmail.com.

If you prefer to donate by check, we welcome that too!

Please make your check payable to Journalism Funding Partners, which is the 501(c)3 organization that accepts tax-deductible donations for the journalism funds.
In the memo line, please write “Big Picture Science" and mail your donation to:

Big Picture Science LLC

PO Box 20012

Oakland, CA 94620

The check will be process-stamped and deposited in the JFP account at River City Bank. Thank you!

Donor instructions for donor-advised funds, or DAFs

To ensure your donation is designated to Big Picture Science, please follow these steps:

Contact the administrator for your DAF and request a distribution or download the distribution form from your administrator’s website.
Indicate that you'd like your check payable to Journalism Funding Partners, 501(c)3 tax ID: 84-2968843
In the memo line, please write “Big Picture Science" and mail your donation to:

Big Picture Science LLC

PO Box 20012

Oakland, CA 94620

A QCD is yet another option:

If you are 70.5+ years young, please consider making a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from an IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. QCDs can be counted toward satisfying required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year. QCDs can be made in consultation with your financial planner or your IRA custodian.

To direct your QCD to Big Picture Science:

Contact the administrator for your QCD and request a distribution.
Indicate that you'd like your check payable to Journalism Funding Partners, 501(c)3 tax ID: 84-2968843
In the memo line, please write “Big Picture Science" and mail your donation to:

Big Picture Science LLC

PO Box 20012

Oakland, CA 94620

Please let us know to expect your gift from your DAF or QCD by emailing Molly at bentley.molly@gmail.com

Include the following information:

Your contact information
The issuing entity (your donor-advised fund administrator)
How the donation will be made (for example: by a check mailed to Big Picture Science)
The amount of your gift

This information helps us ensure that you are properly credited for your generosity. Thank you!

This campaign is a program of Journalism Funding Partners (JFP), tax ID #84-2968843, a verified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to “increase the depth, diversity and sustainability of local journalism by building and stewarding connections between funders and news organizations.” www.jfp-local.org.

JFP is providing funds to this news organization for their endeavors in creating engaging and accessible science journalism. JFP takes your privacy seriously, and we are committed to safeguarding, preserving, and respecting the privacy rights of our donors, website visitors, and other supporters. For additional information on how JFP maintains your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

HELP BIG PICTURE SCIENCE GO INDEPENDENT!

By Big Picture Science

HELP BIG PICTURE SCIENCE GO INDEPENDENT!