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The capital campaign:
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Serious financial work began with
the December, 1994, hiring of Whitney Jones, Inc., to begin strategic planning for the
Museum and capital campaign. With their assistance, museum organizers held two Long-range
Planning Retreats with community leaders to create strategies on facility location,
programming/personnel and budget needs. The Museum's Long-range Planning Committee,
chaired by Hoyle Rymer and Gary Smith, recommended an overall plan to the board of
trustees, based on community participants in a May, 1995 retreat. Between September and November, 1995, Whitney Jones, Inc., conducted a campaign survey with more than 30 community leaders to test the feasibility of raising $3 million for the Museum and Cultural Center. Buoyed by the positive results, the Board of Trustees agreed to launch the campaign. The campaign's Leadership Giving Phase -- soliciting major pledges from corporate and community leaders -- began in in December, 1995. By June, at the public kickoff for the Museum project, $1.3 million in leadership gifts had been secured and a phase-one logo (shown at the top of this page) had been created. The campaign was off and running. For information about the campaign logo, click here.) By the end of 1996, the Capital Campaign had reached $1.7 million in pledges. A phone marathon in March, 1997, pushed pledges past $2 million. A "Fishing For Funds" children's art and educational project increased community awareness and involvement, and the campaign approached $2.6 million in October, 1997. By the summer of 1998, pledges from more than 350 businesses, individuals and families stood at some $3.4 million, with more than $1 million already received and responsibly invested. Months of volunteer and staff research resulted in a detailed Operational Summary and Budget, with income projections that were not dependent on any one source and a realistic expense estimate. The strength and representative nature of our Board of Trustees and Campaign Cabinet, the background and talent of our administrative staff and our community's demonstrated generosity are the museum’s greatest assets. |
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