Milwaukee Business Journal: UPAF looks for fundraising rebound after down year in 2024

Drew Dawson | January 20, 2025

AT A GLANCE

The United Performing Arts Fund saw its fundraising drop in 2024.
With a new CEO at the helm, the Milwaukee arts organization plans for a big increase in fundraising for 2025.
Efforts will focus heavily on workplace and corporate giving campaigns.

After a down year in fundraising, the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) is planning to increase efforts with corporate donors in 2025.

The organization raised $9.2 million during its 2024 fundraising campaign, a period in which it operated without a leader after former CEO Patrick Rath stepped down in March 2024. That is down from about $10.6 million in 2023. UPAF raised $10.7 million in 2022.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the nonprofit raised $11.9 million in 2019.

CEO Annemarie Scobey-Polacheck, who took over in September after the 2024 campaign ended, told the Milwaukee Business Journal that despite the significant decrease, UPAF believes it can raise $10.7 million for the 2025 campaign that kicks off in February. This would be a 16% increase from last year.

"Never in the history of UPAF has there been a year-over-year increase of this size," Scobey-Polacheck said. "The highest ever is 8%. This is an extremely aggressive goal.

"When I was brought on, the board was very clear that my responsibility was to fundraise. I would say this is a reasonable goal, because we have seen that number before," she said.

Founded in 1967, UPAF has 14 member groups:

First Stage;
The Florentine Opera;
Milwaukee Ballet;
Milwaukee Repertory Theater;
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra;
Skylight Music Theatre;
Bel Canto Chorus;
Black Arts MKE;
Danceworks;
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre;
Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra;
Next Act Theatre;
Present Music; and
Renaissance Theaterworks.

UPAF provides operating support to the 14 organizations, which put on more than 3,400 combined performances each year.

Arts groups have struggled for funding over the last decade and have a heavier reliance on philanthropy compared with a decade ago. With UPAF funding also down, Scobey-Polacheck said the organization's strategy to turn around its own fundraising challenges will focus heavily on corporate giving efforts.

Scobey-Polacheck comes from a corporate giving background, joining UPAF after 19 years at Johnson Controls, over six years of which were as director of corporate philanthropy. She and the UPAF team plan to be more proactive for this year's campaign when it comes to organizing company giving campaigns with former, current or new corporate donors and seeking new sponsorship opportunities.

"People don't come to Milwaukee for the weather," Scobey-Polacheck said. "We have a great lake, a wonderful parks system, the Bucks, the Brewers, the Admirals and a thriving arts scene, which helped build a thriving foodie scene. Businesses in Milwaukee are the beneficiaries of a thriving arts scene. When they contribute to that, they are contributing to attracting and retaining talent."

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