It’s hard out here for small businesses, especially museum gift shops, AND especially when those shops are not actually attached to or affiliated with an existing museum.

The Green Bay UFO Museum Gift Shop and Records is struggling. Despite our best efforts, GBUFO has fallen considerably behind on various taxes, and the State of Wisconsin is big mad about it. They’re gonna shut us down unless we give them A LOT of money SOON. That’s the pickle we’re in.

Small businesses frequently fail. We get that. Better business minds than ours know better than to open standalone museum gift shops or for that matter, independent brick and mortar record stores in this economic climate. BUT— GBUFO isn’t here to fundraise on our business shortcomings. We aren’t in business to make a lot of money, we’re in it to do what we love, to strengthen a community that we care deeply about and participate in frequently, and

GBUFO has hosted and supported HUNDREDS of shows, festivals, and events for likely THOUSANDS of local and touring musicians. Those events have been primarily ALL AGES because GBUFO believes that everyone, especially young people, need places and spaces to be PUNK (or whatever they wanna be). Our NO CREEPS policy arose from the responsibility we feel to ensure that those events and spaces in our scene are safe and clean (cleanish— we could sweep more) for everyone in attendance. GBUFO has participated in charity events across a wide range of causes we care about, with special emphasis on LGBTQ+ and social justice causes. We rarely shy away from using what “platform” we have to talk about stuff we think is important, even if that’s sometimes uncomfortable or controversial. GBUFO has cherished these opportunities to stand up with our friends and strengthen our community. And y’all LOVE US for it.

So this is our ask: if you can afford it, consider donating to keep GBUFO surviving in business, standing up together for things we believe in, brightening your social timelines, hosting shows, and generally being SUPER PUNK. You’ve seen what GBUFO can do on a small scale, with very little; imagine how we much more can accomplish with your help.