The gift-giving season is fast approaching and allows you an opportunity not only to bestow something special on a loved one but also to take advantage of Alumni Association member discounts through the Go Blue Rewards program or to support a fellow alum, small-business owner. Read on and start planning your gift list.
MEMBER DISCOUNTS THROUGH GO BLUE REWARDS
Alumni Association Gift Membership
A membership to the Alumni Association makes the perfect gift for the special Wolverines in your life. They’ll enjoy discounts through Go Blue Rewards, resources from the all-encompassing Alumni Career program, virtual learning opportunities, and so much more.
Zingerman’s Mail Order
Send great food anywhere in the U.S. from Zingerman’s Mail Order, whether it’s a curated gift box or individually packed hearth-baked breads; delicious pastries, cakes, and pies; or handmade cheeses. The selection is a sweet gift for your favorite food lover. As a member, save 10% on your purchase.
Kansas City Steak Company
What’s better than a gift from a company that puts taste above all else? With the Kansas City Steak Company, you can give a flavor-filled meal delivered straight to your recipient’s home. Choose from a wide selection of restaurant-quality meats and entrees. Take $20 off your purchase of $100 or more.
BarkBox
BarkBox is the perfect treat for your favorite pups. Every month, you’ll get a special delivery of toys, treats, and chews that is sure to get some tails wagging. Members can get a free extra month with the purchase of a multi-month subscription plan.
Grand Traverse Sauce Company
This gift will spice up their life. The Grand Traverse Sauce Company delivers on small-batch, handmade artisan hot sauces, drink mixes, and honey that are sure to get your palate going. You’ll save 10% off your order, and an additional 10% will go back to the Alumni Association. That’s what we call awesome sauce!
nuyu
Need a gift idea for that special someone with an active lifestyle? Look no further than nuyu. The stylish workout gear includes everything from U-M varsity jackets to tops and running shorts. Members save 25% off their entire purchase. Alum owner: Tracy Buescher, ’88.
Not a member? Join today.
Alumni-Owned Businesses
BOMBANANA Hot Sauce
Created at U-M, the original BOMBANANA recipe for hot sauce came from a series of trial-and-error tastings by the five founders. In the end, by replacing processed sugar with bananas, they discovered how amazing sweetness is when combined with heat. Alum owners: Kevin Bhattacharyya, ’20, Grant Dukus, ’20, Jonathan Moss, ’20, Jared Schacter, ’20.
The Card Bureau
This woman-owned design company creates relevant and humorous designs for greeting cards and gift items. The Card Bureau draws inspiration from politics, feminism, and current events. A number of gifts from candles and mugs to bath bombs and coasters cost less than $20. Alum owner: Janie Valencia, ’13.
Good Goods
This company has been showcasing handmade works from American artists for over 30 years. Selling an array of items from jewelry and sculpture to wooden boxes, the store carries the works of some 150 artists. This gift of three glycerin-based Soap Rocks ($36) can weather frequent washes like a stone in a stream. Alum owner: Sandra Delcomyn Randolph, ’65.
JaM Treats
Meredith Cymerman and a friend started the company after realizing there was a dearth in the market for healthy sweet snacks. Knowing everyone likes a sweet bite now and then, they decided to make nutritionally focused sweet snacks that are also gluten-free, dairy-free, and free of refined sugar. Alum owner: Meredith Cymerman, ’94.
Vertex Ann Arbor Coffee
Vertex is a coffee roastery that “strives to honor the entire coffee process and the people involved.” Choose from the global list of coffees, which come from Ethiopia, Colombia, Honduras, and Tanzania. Alum owner: Kara Sato, ’14.
