MILWAUKEE, WI – The United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) announced today that the 2015 UPAF Campaign raised $12,001,226, which is a 2.3% increase over 2014. In the past five years alone, the UPAF Campaign has increased by 27%, having set new records each of the past three years.
UPAF shared the news this evening at its Campaign Finale, sponsored by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, at Turner Hall Ballroom. The event was hosted by Bill Walsh of CBS 58 and featured performances by UPAF Member Groups, Skylight Music Theatre, the Florentine Opera Company and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. The 2015 Campaign was chaired by Patty Cadorin, vice president and chief of staff to the CEO of BMO Harris Bank; Tom Cardella, MillerCoors (retired); and Mark Sabljak, publisher of the Milwaukee Business Journal.
“2015 was a big year for UPAF, and we are thrilled to have achieved another important milestone,” said Deanna Tillisch, UPAF president and CEO. “Patty, Tom and Mark worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this campaign, and we are truly grateful to them. We achieved significant advances in many areas this year, including notable increases in leadership giving and employee participation in Workplace Giving Campaigns. We would like to thank all of the generous donors who helped UPAF achieve this monumental success.”
UPAF achieved its goal through Workplace Giving Campaigns; corporate, foundation and individual gifts; proceeds from the 2015 UPAF Ride for the Arts, sponsored by Miller Lite; and fundraising efforts driven by its Member Groups and Affiliates. This year’s campaign ran from March 3 through June 9, 2015.
2015 UPAF Campaign Highlights
- $12,001,226 is the most dollars ever raised in a single UPAF Campaign
- More than 190 companies hosted a Workplace Giving Campaign this year, including 19 new campaigns.
- $4 million was raised through Workplace Giving Campaigns. Overall, Workplace Giving dollars increased by $100,000 over 2014.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers was this year’s recipient of the Baird Award. The Baird Award goes to a company that demonstrates increased employee participation, active involvement by the CEO, encouragement of leadership giving and an increase in the average employee gift.
- Davis & Kuelthau raised the most money of the 19 new Workplace Giving Campaigns
- Baird once again was the leader in Workplace Giving participation, with 9 out of 10 employees making a gift to UPAF
- The following companies earned Division Awards for the highest net increase in WPG participation from 2014 to 2015:
- Lawyers – Dewitt Ross and Stevens is the law firm with the largest increase at 20%.
- Manufacturing – Weyco Group has the highest increase with 6.7%.
- Accounting – McGladrey has the largest increase at 30%.
- Leadership giving, propelled by the Bucyrus Foundation Leadership Challenge, increased significantly with $2,666,824 in donations.
- The UPAF Notable Women affinity program, sponsored by BMO Harris, concluded the campaign with 339 members and $339,000 in funds directed toward arts education.
- Former Senator Herb Kohl made a gift of $100,000 to the UPAF Campaign
- Northwestern Mutual was once again UPAF’s largest overall donor, raising the highest amount of funds of any company through its Workplace Giving Campaign. A total of $930,616 was raised through Northwestern Mutual employees and retirees. This combined with the company gift totaled over $1.6 million.
- Johnson Controls is UPAF’s largest company donor and surpassed $1.5 million in total giving to the UPAF Campaign. Johnson Controls generously matched employees’ Workplace Giving contributions in addition to its company gift.
- We Energies received the UPAF Epic Award in recognition of their exceptional performance in the 2015 UPAF Campaign. Company leadership displayed strong support of UPAF, and employee giving increased 8.1% over 2014 – more than $21,000. The company hosted their first-ever Member Group Fair and invited UPAF Member Groups in to display and share information with employees. We Energies also donated and displayed a 180’ X 20’ banner on the We Energies building throughout the entire UPAF Campaign.
- BMO Harris Bank and the M&I Foundation made special gifts on behalf of Patty Cadorin for serving as a 2015 UPAF Campaign Co-Chair.
- The Marcus Corporation was UPAF’s largest in-kind supporter, with more than $25,000 of in-kind donations.
- The Milwaukee Business Journal also contributed a tremendous amount of in-kind support with advertising valued at over $186,000 throughout 2015 and at least 15 editorial mentions.
About UPAF
United Performing Arts Fund’s mission is to secure community resources, promote the performing arts as a regional asset and improve the quality of life through responsible investment in and financial support of the performing arts in Southeastern Wisconsin. Our vision is to shape a diverse, vibrant and sustainable cultural life for all. In 2015 UPAF’s Annual Campaign raised more than $12 million dollars to support the area’s vibrant performing arts environment. UPAF proudly bears Charity Navigator’s highest distinction for nonprofits – a four-star rating – and is ranked No. 1 by Americans for the Arts for being the most cost effective united arts fund in the country.
As an umbrella organization, UPAF supports a breadth of performing arts groups that collectively offer something for everyone through its 15 Member Groups and numerous Affiliates. More than one million people are touched each year through performances, educational outreach, special events and community partnerships.
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