Less than two years after going public with the effort, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation announced it has exceeded the $700 million fundraising goal set for its “Greater Together Campaign.”
In all, the campaign raised $726.8 million, with more than 4,800 donors contributing at some level, the GMF said Friday.
Gifts to the campaign ranged from in size from $5 to $20 million, with donors from traditionally underrepresented in philanthropy, such as younger donors and donors of color, participating in the effort, the GMF said. The campaign saw more than 3,000 new donors begin partnering with the foundation, representing a diverse array of ages and backgrounds.
Greater Together Campaign
The most ambitious fundraising initiative in the foundation’s 108-year history, the priority-focused campaign, was one of the first in the country when it was privately launched by the GMF in 2017. By the time the foundation went public with the effort in March 2022, it had already raised $500 million.
Focused on the long-term vitality of the community, the effort asked donors to contribute to five key endeavors, including the ThriveOn Collaboration; early childhood care and education initiatives; housing; impact investing, and flexible funding, which will allow the GMF to have funds to address emerging issues, pressing needs and important opportunities as they arise.
“The results of this campaign affirm the community supports the foundation’s vision of a Milwaukee for all. Transformational impact is only possible together, and by welcoming all people and communities to see themselves in philanthropy, we are helping generate a movement toward greater collaboration and the long-term solutions Milwaukee needs,” said Ellen Gilligan, GMF’s president and CEO. “We are filled with gratitude for the many ways our donors and partners throughout the region have been generous.”
Having lead the foundation for 14 years, the fundraising boon is a high watermark for Gilligan, who will retire from the organization on June 30.
Distinct opportunities
In addition to inviting donors to give according to their personal passions, the foundation offered distinct opportunities to coinvest in five funding priorities, driven by key community outcomes and aligned with the foundation’s north star of racial equity and inclusion, the nonprofit said.
Identified through data and community voice, those priorities drew $35.6 million in philanthropy during the campaign. Using an accessible and collaborative way for donors to make an impact on Milwaukee’s greatest needs, coupled with traditional giving, enables the foundation to continue enhancing quality of life throughout the region, it said, while also addressing systemic racial disparities that have inhibited lives and livelihoods throughout Milwaukee’s Black and Brown communities.
Support for campaign priorities is already having an impact on community outcomes that are fundamental to a Milwaukee for all, GMF said, including educational opportunity, health equity, economic opportunity and housing security.
The ThriveOn Collaboration, for example, received private donations of $8.5 million through the campaign, helping to drive the redevelopment of the historic Gimbels-Schuster’s building on North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee into a community hub. The GMF is a partner on the project along with developer Royal Capital and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
A springboard
Foundation leaders view the campaign’s conclusion not as a finale, but a springboard, Friday’s announcement states. The community outcomes receiving focus now remain critical to the wellbeing of people throughout the region, and the foundation said it will continue to seek support for their advancement.
“From our priority-driven model to our inclusive invitation to join our table, the foundation’s reimagined approach to philanthropy in this campaign has resonated strongly with our partners and the people we serve,” said Cecelia Gore, GMF board member and campaign co-chair. “Reaching our comprehensive campaign goal despite the tremendous economic and social toll of the pandemic is a remarkable testament to the generosity in our community and donors’ commitment to our collective future.”
