Uncle Mike's Donation Program

At Uncle Mike's, we provide two types of donation opportunities: in-kind donations and matching donations. The majority of people participate in our matching donation program. For more details, please see the information below.

Why do this?

Many companies, including our own, are working hard just to stay above water these days, which makes it particularly difficult to say yes to every charitable organization that asks us for a donation. We know you rely on community partners like us for financial support, and we never like to let anyone down. Our team at Uncle Mike's loves being involved with our community and we are honored that so many of you out there hold our bakery in high esteem.

What is this donation matching?

In the old model, a group trying to raise money asked a company to give a straight donation of goods or services, often for an auction or other fund-raiser. In this model, the asking group will find someone to put up half the amount, with the promise that we will give a matching half, making a stable, 3-legged partnership to carry the weight of charitable giving on.

Why does this work for Uncle Mike's?

Our team loves to feed people, so we have focused our in-kind donations on those organizations around Green Bay and Appleton dedicated to feeding the poor, hungry and homeless. When we are asked for donations by NPO’s with feeding the poor as their mission, we are usually able to offer them an auction item or gift certificate providing Uncle Mike's goods and services. However, we are approached almost daily by schools, NPO’s with other missions, medical causes, community clubs and churches, and other groups and causes, who are trying to raise money. Unfortunately we often have to turn them down because there is only so much we can do, and we find it impossible to pick and choose. For instance we cannot comfortably say yes to one school, and no to all the rest. Now, we hope to be able to broaden our reach with this new model of giving.

How will it work?

Let’s say your group has a mission to help education and you want us to donate to your dessert auction. You find someone interested in partnering with the two of us, probably one of your members or another supporter who is looking for ways to help your organization raise money. That donor purchases one cake, and we will donate a second cake of equal value to the auction. Or, say you are having a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness and you want a $100 gift certificate from us to be used as an auction item. You will find a donor to purchase a $50 gift certificate, and we will match it so it doubles to $100. We will do this for any charitable event, for any amount up to $150.

How did Uncle Mike's come to this idea?

We have been searching for ways to say yes more often in our charitable giving to our community, and even with our generous standards it still never felt like enough. We learned that the famed Canlis restaurant in Seattle was doing a donation matching campaign, and we realized they were on to something. It meets the needs of everyone who asks and helps share the responsibility of charitable giving. This model of giving will allow us to give more often, to more groups, without feeling stretched beyond our means.

We welcome your questions, feedback and thoughts about this process.

We have a short form to be filled out in-store. We ask for in-kind donations that you come in and fill out the form minimum 1 week ahead of needing your donation. We typically can do same day for donation matching.