Ready to spread some holiday cheer with Ramaker? Our 12 Days of Giving begin on December 9.

The holidays provide time to reflect on what we have—be it a full pantry, a place to stay, or some time with family. At Ramaker, we have a lot to be grateful for. A dedicated staff of employee-owners who have pulled together during a challenging couple of years. Strong partnerships with clients. Exciting projects in the works for 2022.

Taking stock of what we have and practicing gratitude are hallmarks of the holiday season. As we do so, we’re also thinking about our responsibility to the communities in which we live and work. That’s why we’re making our 12 Days of Giving an annual end-of-year event.

About Ramaker’s 12 Days of Giving

Ramaker’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committee instituted the company’s 12 Days of Giving in 2020. Over a 12-day span in December, the company will donate a total of $10,000 to organizations that our employee-owners hold close to their hearts. Through these contributions, the company aims to highlight local organizations with a variety of missions and investments—including addressing food insecurity, preventing homelessness, and restoring communities—and to make sure they have the resources they need for 2022.

“The pandemic put a lot of people in our communities in precarious positions. We started the 12 Days of Giving in response to that, and we’re excited to make it an annual event,” said CSR committee chair Joe Gallagher. “While last year’s contributions primarily addressed food insecurity, this year we’re excited to support local organizations with diverse visions and commitments.”

Contributions for this year’s 12 Days of Giving will be announced between December 9 and December 24 on this page.

2021 Donations

Day 1

Sauk City, Wisconsin, is home for Ramaker and many of our employee-owners. For Day 1 of Ramaker’s 12 Days of Giving, we’re donating to an organization that fights food insecurity in the Sauk Prairie School District area: The Sauk Prairie Area Food Pantry.

Since 1983, the Sauk Prairie Area Food Pantry has provided access to emergency food resources for local community members. Want to get involved? Find information on their current campaigns and explore ways to support the pantry here.

Day 2

For Day 2, we’re giving gifts and clothes to children in the Sauk City and Madison areas as part of two community giving programs: The Sauk Prairie Caring Tree and Toys for Tots. Ramaker’s CSR committee and employee-owners fulfilled 30 gift requests from local kids.

Day 3

For Day 3, we’re contributing to two organizations dedicated to providing essential community resources in South Central Wisconsin: Reach Out Lodi and People Helping People in Baraboo.

Through its community center and community outreach initiatives, Reach Out Lodi connects individuals and families in the Lodi School District with basic necessities like food, clothing, and personal products. Learn more about Reach Out Lodi and view the organization’s current wish list here.

People Helping People is a community-building organization that serves low-income families and unemployed adults in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Learn more about the organization’s 2021 outreach initiatives here.

Day 4

For Day 4, we’re giving to two organizations making a big difference near our Madison, Wisconsin, office: Madison Reading Project and NewBridge.

Madison Reading Project provides free books and literary programming that promote a passion for reading and academic success. Since 2014, the organization has distributed more than 200,000 free books to families and schools in Dane County and across Wisconsin. Learn how to get involved with its community book drive here.

NewBridge provides vital resources and community programming for older adults in Madison and Monona. Since 2019, the organization has connected aging community members with services and tools that promote safety, well-being, and independence. Learn more about how to get involved with NewBridge’s outreach initiatives here.

Day 5

For Day 5, we’re highlighting two more organizations making an impact in Madison, Wisconsin: The River Food Pantry and the Goodman Community Center.

The River Food Pantry serves more than 1,000 South Central Wisconsin households every week. Since 2006, the food pantry has partnered with local organizations to provide free groceries and meals for low-income families in the Madison area. For our 12 Days of Giving, we’re contributing to River Food Pantry’s HOPE Holiday Food Drive. Learn how you can support the pantry’s mission here.

Through educational support and academic enrichment programs, career training services, health and wellness programming, and the Fritz Food Pantry, the Goodman Community Center provides vital resources and classes that help members of the Madison community thrive. Today, we’re supporting the center’s Fritz Food Pantry. Find ways to donate and volunteer here.

Day 6

For Day 6, we’re directing our donations to two organizations fighting food insecurity in South Central Wisconsin: Middleton Outreach Ministry and the Deerfield Food Pantry.

Middleton Outreach Ministry strives to create food and housing security in West Madison, Middleton, and Cross Plains, Wisconsin. Today, we’re donating to the organization’s Winter Wishes program, which provides holiday gifts for community members in need. Learn more about Middleton Outreach Ministry’s programs and services here.

The Deerfield Food Pantry at the Deerfield Community Center fights food insecurity in Deerfield, Wisconsin. The pantry distributes emergency food resources as well as holiday food baskets to families in need. Learn more about the pantry’s current needs here.

Day 7

Just days ago, severe storms and tornadoes devastated parts of the central and southern US. For Day 7, we’re donating to organizations providing disaster relief in Kentucky and Tennessee: CARE and YAIPak Outreach.

Atlanta-based non-profit CARE is working with Louisville-based Change Today, Change Tomorrow to distribute supplies and cash vouchers to Kentucky families affected by the tornadoes. You can join us in donating to CARE’s Kentucky Tornado Emergency Response fund here.

Ramaker employee-owner and Tennessee resident Adam Simon nominated YAIPak Outreach for our 12 Days of Giving. Based in Clarksville, Tennessee, YAIPak Outreach assists under-resourced communities around the world. Right now, the organization is providing emergency assistance in Adam’s community. Learn more about how to get involved with YAIPak Outreach here.

Day 8

For Day 8, we’re donating to two organizations close to the hearts of our employee-owners: GameNight Productions and The Parenting Network.

Baraboo-based GameNight Productions seeks to enhance student achievement by teaching important skills and building community around athletics. Learn more about how the non-profit aims to increase student participation in co-curricular activities on its website.

The Parenting Network provides resources and programming that help anyone in a parenting role create safe and nurturing environments for children. The Milwaukee-based organization has worked to strengthen relationships and prevent child abuse since 1976. Find ways to support its mission here.

Day 9

For Day 9, we’re contributing to organizations and programs fighting hunger throughout Wisconsin: The Community Pantry of Spring Green, Feeding Friends, and the Green Cares Food Pantry.

The Community Food Pantry of Spring Green, Wisconsin, provides emergency food assistance and support for those living in the River Valley School District area. Learn more about the pantry’s current needs on its website.

The Feeding Friends program at Dodgeville United Methodist Church in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, brings various churches and local organizations together to prepare an average of 200 hot, nutritious meals each week for community members in need.

The Green Cares Food Pantry in Monticello, Wisconsin, is a volunteer-run pantry that works in collaboration with the Southwest Community Action Program to serve frozen, fresh, and canned foods to low-income families in Green County, Wisconsin. Learn more about how you can help prevent food insecurity in Green County on the pantry’s Facebook page.

Day 10

As we planned this year’s 12 Days Of Giving, one of our goals was to highlight organizations whose names and missions don’t get much media attention despite the opportunities and support they provide for their communities. Today, we’re donating to three organizations that make a huge impact in South Central Wisconsin: The Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin (CAC), JustDane, and Mentoring Positives.

The CAC’s goal is to transform local communities by fostering conditions that allow everyone to achieve social and economic security. The organizations provides services and resources that combat food and housing insecurity and improve quality of life across South Central Wisconsin. Find ways to get involved with CAC on its website.

JustDane provides support and opportunities for individuals and families whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. Since 1971, the organization has helped transform lives and advocate for more just and equitable communities. JustDane’s Healing House is one of many programs created by the organization. It provides a place for families and children experiencing homelessness to recover after surgeries or medical incidents. Learn how you can support JustDane’s initiatives on its website.

Mentoring Positives provides leadership, mentoring, and social entrepreneurship opportunities for the younger residents of Madison’s Darbo-Worthington Park neighborhood. Join us in donating to Mentoring Positives on the organization’s website.

Day 11

For Day 11, we’re donating to two causes close to the hearts of our employee-owners in New Jersey: the Tunnels to Towers Foundation and the Sky Mendoza Supplemental Needs Trust.

The Tunnels to Towers Foundation provides mortgage-free homes and smart homes to injured and fallen veterans, first responders, their families, and Gold Star families. Learn more about how you can help the organization give peace of mind to these families on its website.

The Sky Mendoza Supplemental Needs Trust was created to raise funds for a wheelchair accessible home for Sky Mendoza. “[Sky] is a local ‘neighbor’ of mine and needs our help so she can go home and be with her family,” said Cassie O’Connor, Ramaker’s Northeast Business Development Lead. Join us in donating to the fundraiser here.

Day 12

For Day 12, we’re contributing to three more organizations fighting hunger in South Central Wisconsin: 6:8, Beyond Blessed Pantry, and Little John’s.

6:8 seeks to transform local communities through service. The organization’s programming and outreach initiatives aim to reduce the poverty rate and eliminate food insecurity in the Sauk Prairie School District area. Learn more about 6:8 on the organization’s website.

Beyond Blessed Pantry is a volunteer-powered organization addressing food scarcity in Baraboo, Lake Delton, Wisconsin Dells, and surrounding communities. Join us in donating to the pantry on its website.

Little John’s works with partnering grocery stores to turn excess food into delicious meals for those in need. Learn how to get involved with the organization on its website.

About Ramaker CSR

Ramaker’s CSR committee partners with organizations that positively impact the places where the company’s employee-owners live and work. Since Ramaker is an employee-owned company, donations made by the CSR committee are not tax-deductible. Funds are distributed to benefit organizations in need, not to increase the company’s bottom line.

Are you involved with a local organization? We’d love to hear more about how you’re helping your community. Email csr@ramaker.com to get in touch with Ramaker’s CSR committee.