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development
Garden Club (founded 1921) is the largest member club of the Wisconsin Garden Club Federation. The club supports the Museum through the annual Art in Bloom event and other activities. Photography Council (founded 1988) is devoted to the Museum’s photography collection and exhibition program and allows Museum Members with an interest in the art and history of photography to enrich their knowledge of the medium through an annual program of special events. Print Forum (founded 1980) unites Museum Members with an interest in prints and drawings from the Renaissance to today. It sponsors exhibitions, lectures, and seminars and provides support for the acquisition of prints, drawings, and artists’ books for the Museum’s Collection. The Museum is very fortunate to have such longstanding, supportive Members. Their generosity directly affects the breadth and depth of the Museum’s programs, from acquisitions and exhibitions to lectures and special events, keeping the Museum vibrant. For this, the Museum is deeply grateful.
President’s Circle Every great institution has a circle of philanthropic leaders committed to its success. At the Museum, that group is the President’s Circle, which, this year, provided 63 percent of the Annual Campaign contributions. President’s Circle membership starts at $2,500, and the 272 members gave a total of $3,082,547 to the 2010– 2011 campaign. In thanks for their gifts, the Museum honors these individuals with special recognition and exclusive privileges, including enhanced access to the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, unique programs with the curators, and invitations to the year’s most talked about VIP events. Each successive level of membership brings you one step closer to the art.
Sponsorship Support The generous contributions and sponsorship of foundations, corporations, and individuals are vital to the Museum’s ability to maintain the caliber of its exhibitions and education and public programs. Sponsorship not only provides much-needed support for education and exhibitions but also builds visibility and awareness of the sponsor’s brand, affords business-building opportunities, and offers memorable hospitality experiences for clients and employees. This year, sponsorship was at a record high. Area businesses, foundations, and philanthropists came together in support of the Frank Lloyd Wright and Summer of China exhibitions and related programming. Additionally, popular events such as MAM after Dark, Family Sundays, Art in Bloom, and Lakefront Festival of Arts were again enjoyed by thousands of Museum visitors thanks to the commitment of generous sponsors.
Legacy Society More than eighty Museum supporters have promised gifts through their estate plans. Using wills, trusts, insurance, retirement plans, or other assets, planned giving donors receive valuable tax advantages while providing support that benefits Museum visitors for generations to come. Most monies received will build the Museum’s endowment fund, which only generated 6 percent of the annual operating budget in fiscal year 2011, trailing most comparable U.S. art museums. Members of the Legacy Society enjoy many program and event benefits and have the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping an institution continue to inspire all ages through art, in perpetuity. For information on the Legacy Society, request the Museum’s Planned Giving Brochure from Mary Albrecht, senior director of development, at 414-224-3245.
Everyone in the Museum and the community benefits from the tremendous generosity of President’s Circle Members; this group has helped make the Museum what it is today, and makes sure that the Museum continues to be a leading national art museum. Thank you!!
2011 annual report |