The WCMU Foodraiser returns on Giving Tuesday, December 3 and runs through December 9. Donate during the campaign and you will support news, conversations, music, and more that is vital to your community AND you will trigger meals from our ‘Gift of Food’ sponsor Mercantile Bank. Mercantile Bank will supply meals on your behalf to the Feeding America foodbank serving your area.
With your help, we hope to see 10,000 meals or more distributed to those who need them most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does the WCMU Foodraiser work?
A: When you make a contribution to WCMU Public Radio during the WCMU Foodraiser, your donation will support the news, information and intriguing conversations you hear every day. Your donation to WCMU Public Radio will trigger meals from our Foodraiser sponsor, Mercantile Bank. These meals will be distributed on your behalf to the food insecure by the Feeding America food bank serving your zip code.
Q: How severe is the food insecurity problem in Michigan?
A: According to Feeding America’s 2021 data, 1 in 9 people in Michigan faced hunger, including 1 in 8 children. The need has only grown according to Feeding America’s 2022 data. More than 1.4 million Michiganders face hunger, that’s 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 6 children. The organization reports it would cost almost $1 billion annually to erase food insecurity in Michigan.
Q: How much do I need to donate to trigger a ‘Gift of Food’ from Mercantile Bank?
A: Any donation of $5 or more will trigger a ‘Gift of Food’ match from our Foodraiser sponsor Mercantile Bank. They will match 10% of your donation and use it to purchase meals on your behalf. Those meals will be distributed to the Feeding America food bank serving your zip code. New monthly sustaining donations during the WCMU Foodraiser will see Mercantile Bank match 10% of the yearly value, e.g. $120 based on $10/month.
Q: How many meals will my ‘Gift of Food’ provide?
A: Below is a chart showing how many meals your donation to WCMU Public Radio will trigger from our ‘Gift of Food’ sponsor Mercantile Bank. The number of meals triggered by your donation can vary depending on the food bank that serves your area. You can learn more about food insecurity in your community, including the costs food banks face when providing meals to those in need.
| Donation to WCMU | Manna Food Project | Greater Lansing Food Bank | Feeding America West Michigan | Food Bank of Eastern Michigan |
| $10 | 0.23 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| $20 | 0.45 | 6 | 8 | 12 |
| $30 | 0.68 | 9 | 12 | 18 |
| $40 | 0.91 | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| $50 | 1.14 | 15 | 20 | 30 |
| $5/month or $60 | 1.36 | 18 | 24 | 36 |
| $8/month or $96 | 2.18 | 28.8 | 38.4 | 57.6 |
| $10/month or $120 | 2.73 | 36 | 48 | 72 |
| $15/month or $180 | 4.09 | 54 | 72 | 108 |
| $20/month or $240 | 5.45 | 72 | 96 | 144 |
| $25/month or $300 | 6.82 | 90 | 120 | 180 |
| $30/month or $360 | 8.18 | 108 | 144 | 216 |
| $35/month or $420 | 9.55 | 126 | 168 | 252 |
| $40/month or $480 | 10.91 | 144 | 192 | 288 |
| $45/month or $540 | 12.27 | 162 | 216 | 324 |
| $50/month or $600 | 13.64 | 180 | 240 | 360 |
| $60/month or $720 | 16.36 | 216 | 288 | 432 |
| $75/month or $900 | 20.45 | 270 | 360 | 540 |
| $100/month or $1200 | 27.27 | 360 | 480 | 720 |
Q: I live inside the WCMU listening area. Which food bank will receive the "Gift of Food" triggered by my donation?
A: There are four Feeding America Food Banks serving the WCMU listening area. The meals from Mercantile Bank triggered by your donation will be directed to the food bank serving your zip code:
Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, serving the eastern side of the state, including northeast lower Michigan, the Tri-Cities and Thumb, where a dollar provides up to 6 meals.
Feeding America West Michigan, serving the western side of the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula, where a dollar provides up to 4 meals.
The Greater Lansing Food Bank, serving parts of mid-Michigan, where a dollar provides up to 3 meals.
The Manna Food Project, serves Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties, as a Partner Distribution Organization with Feeding America West Michigan. Manna doesn’t calculate the number of meals generated by $1 like the other food banks in our coverage area. We’ve taken an average cost of a meal for the food insecure to source on their own within Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties. This results in $4.40 a meal.
Q: I live outside the WCMU listening area. Which food bank will receive my ‘Gift of Food?’
A: Meals triggered by our ‘Gift of Food’ sponsor, Mercantile Bank, from outside the main WCMU listening area will have their meals distributed evenly among our four partner food banks.
Q: How can I be sure the food banks will use Mercantile Bank’s match for food?
A: All four of the Feeding America food banks WCMU is working with are highly rated by Charity Navigator, an organization that rates the effectiveness of non-profit organizations. All organizations spend less than 11 cents of every dollar on things like administration and fundraising, and three of the four organizations spend less than 5 cents of every dollar on administration and fundraising. All other funds go towards addressing food insecurity in central and northern Michigan.
Q: How will WCMU use my donation?
A: Your donation to WCMU will support the programming you listen to every day: shows like Morning Edition, On Point, 1A, All Things Considered,Fresh Air, and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me. The meals triggered from Mercantile Bank will be valued at 10 percent of your contribution to WCMU Public Radio.