Capital Campaign fuels relocation for Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association, Southeastern Wisconsin chapter, recently moved into a new home at 620 S 76th Street, Suite 160 in Milwaukee. The move was made possible by a year-long capital campaign launched by the Association which raised $258,600 and involved the support and investment of a number of local foundations and individuals. The new offices were designed from the ground up to be a highly functional space that will enhance team work and productivity among the Association’s 24 employees and many volunteers.
The chapter took advantage of the economic downturn to secure its future for the next eleven years. “There are many outstanding deals available in today’s commercial real estate market,” said chapter executive director Tom Hlavacek. “By raising the dollars to pay for our own design and build-out, we were able to negotiate a much more favorable business deal on our long-term lease.” Rental costs over the term of the lease will be about the same as they would have been had they not moved, even though the new space is 20% larger and includes 1000 square feet of storage space. “This move actually reduces our costs in the short term, which is money that we can put right back into our mission of care and support,” said Hlavacek.
A centerpiece of the new space is a state-of-the-art education and training center that can accommodate over 50 people, and will be available to other groups serving seniors. “We train over 10,000 people a year, and never had our own professional training center,” said Hlavacek. “Through the generosity of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation we can now develop, finetune and host our own training events, plus make available a new training resource to the community.”
Along with the Northwestern Mutual Foundation, which provided a $90,000 threeyear grant, the foundations that offered support include the Cordon Family Foundation which provided a $50,000 five-year grant; the Helen Bader Foundation which provided a $50,000 two-year grant; the Greater Milwaukee Foundation which provided a $25,000 grant; the Faye McBeath Foundation which provided a $20,000 grant; the Doolittle Foundation which provided a $12,600 technology grant, and the Ellinger and Helfaer Foundations which each provided $500 grants. Finally, a group of private individuals donated over $10,000 to assist with the purchase of a new phone system.
“We had tremendous support from the philanthropic community as well as a group of private donors who made this move possible,” stated Hlavacek, “in making this change, we secured a new home for our mission and a new resource for the community, while at the same time helping to secure our fiscal condition for well into the future.”
“We are thankful for the support of local foundations and the community,” stated David Simbro, president of the chapter’s Board of Directors. “Through careful long-term planning and taking advantage of market conditions, the Alzheimer’s Association has been able to take this very large step.”
The mission of the Alzheimer’s Association is to eliminate Alzheimer’s through the advancement of research, to provide care and support to those dealing with the disease today, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. The Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Wisconsin provides information, education, and support to people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, their families, and healthcare professionals throughout an 11-county region. For more information about Alzheimer’s disease and local services visit http://alz.org/sewi, or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900 or the Spanish line at 414-750- 6640.
