Next Door and the Educare Center of Milwaukee thank the many foundations, corporations, individuals and family foundations whose generous support turned the vision of an Early Childhood Education Campus into a reality.
In 2003, Next Door Foundation launched the $9.1 million Building a Future for Children capital campaign. The primary goals of the campaign were to construct the Educare Center of Milwaukee and renovate the Helwig Family Community Center.
The Buffet Family Foundations pledged $2 million for the construction of the Educare Milwaukee facility, and the Richard & Ethel Herzfeld Foundation made the first key gift by committing $750,000 to the project.
Other major Building a Future for Children gifts included a $500,000 matching grant from Children’s Hospital Foundation toward the expansion of the health clinic, a $500,000 leadership gift from the Kelben Foundation, and a $500,000 challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation to complete the campaign.
The campaign was finished in September 2007. At that time, Next Door had received more than $9.2 million in gifts from 266 donors.