Get Involved!

We look for volunteers for a wide range of activities! We currently have opportunities including social media and marketing, in-studio operations, graphic design, copy-writing, blog feature writing, event support, community outreach, social media, audio editing, phone banking, data management and admin work, writing thank you cards, photography, and, of course, becoming a DJ. Don't see what you're looking for? Just ask us on the form below, we'll work with you one-on-one to find the volunteer opportunity that makes sense for you.

We don't currently have a great way for you to sign up for shifts without us already having your info (which we get from this form!). We do send out one-off opportunities to a volunteers listserv, but most opportunities are not emailed out to it, and you won't usually see ongoing activities here. Since we're a radio station and on 24/7, the bulk of what we do are ongoing tasks. We do targetted onboarding by the role regularly. Folks will join a largely self-sufficient volunteer eco-system with around 150 people having an ongoing weekly commitment of a few hours or more.

It depends on the task! We're always happy to bring you into our office and/or studios for any volunteer tasks but it is not required unless physical presence is necessary to the task. Note: The XRAY office and studios are unfortunately not ADA accessible as they have a flight of stairs with no elevator. We do many off-site events that won't require coming into our office or studios. Many volunteer opportunities are remote or can be made to be, but we hope to be able to welcome you to an accessible office and studio in the future!

We hold general orientations for new volunteers intermittently when we reach a certain level of interest and have the capacity to best onboard and train a new volunteer cohort. As a small team with around 150 weekly volunteers, this can sometimes take longer than expected. We tend to put more concerted efforts into onboarding volunteers surrounding periods of great need for single-shift signups, usually surrounding events and campaigns with the station. This could be things like pledge drives in Spring and Fall, station-planned events, etc. etc. Orientations are meant to get folks acquainted with the station's internal operations and explore current opportunities. If you indicate specific interests or skills, we'll often reach out directly with appropriate opportunities to those who've registered interest in a given role or task.

It depends on the task! If it's a one-off shift, you'll get a brief training at the start of your shift (typically verbally with a printed or linked training document given to you as well). At this time, several of our more skilled tasks are limited to folks that already posess those skills because of our capacity to offer sufficient training. Some tasks, such as board operation or studio-use, can require multiple training sessions with staff and/or experienced volunteers prior to officially beginning the task or scheduling an ongoing shift. In some cases, that includes demonstrating that you've retained the necessary information and are ready to handle the task on your own.

You pitch us a show concept!

Our most recent application window closed in February 2024.

We hold open show application periods annually, usually in the July/August or January/February, and onboard cohorts in the upcoming months following applications. Our volunteer On-Air Advisory Committee of current hosts evaluates applications as a group led by the Station Director, so we appreciate your patience as we continue on that intentional but slow process. We typically receive a high volume of applications for a small number of slots (our last couple cycles have only been able to accept under 20% of show proposals). That means we may not always find a place for everyone on the schedule. Common reasons we may pass on show pitches include: the show pitch being too similar to other existing programs, a concern about the concept being too limited in scope to continue long term, inconsistency with station values and/or goals, or a concern about the applicant's capacity to undertake the necessary level of committment to be successful and have a fulfilling experience with a show on XRAY.

When we are accepting applications for new shows, you'll find a link to submit your pitch here! Sign up for our newlsetter and follow us on Instagram to be notified about the next opportunity to apply for a show on XRAY. In the meantime, we welcome you to fill out the general volunteer interest form, especially if you're new to volunteering with us, so you can get acquainted with the internal workings of the station. Please note that if you list becoming a DJ/Host as your only interest in the form, you will still need to submit an application for a show during an open application period. Show applications are not evaluated by the same group that onboards regular volunteers.

We're always looking to increase representation in experiences, genres, backgrounds, identities, and more. Since XRAY utilizes a freeform radio format, we want to know about the unique experience you'll bring to the schedule and the city of Portland on the airwaves! We review applications during open application periods usually annually, but we are a small team so it may take a while to hear back! Generally, to have a show, be ready for a 6-month minimum commitment and being an active participant in the station. That means you should expect at least 3 hours/week for each hour of programming (so a 2-hour show would be 6), be ready for quarterly all-station meetings, and be an active participant in station-wide events such as fund drives, special programming, and celebrations.