Success Stories

Farm WI Discovery Center raises $12.5 million for innovative new education center!

Reedsburg Area Medical Center raises $2 million to modernize surgery services!

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Monroe Clinic builds new hospice home, exceeds goal by 65%!

Sauk Prairie Healthcare raises $5 million in just 18 months!

Aldo Leopold Foundation raises $8.25 million to build ultra-green!

Mukwonago YMCA raises $10 million in community of just 7,500!

Stoughton Hospital exceeds goal and raises $2.4 million!

Client Testimonials

“The success of the Overture Forever Campaign is a testament to the deep belief this community holds in the transformative power of the arts. Reaching our $30 million goal means the Overture Center can be preserved and celebrated for generations to come. We are deeply grateful to McDonald Schaefer for their expertise and partnership throughout this effort — their guidance helped us tell our story compellingly and connect with donors in meaningful ways. Together, we’ve secured not just a building, but a future.”

Emily Gruenewald, Co-CEO & Chief Development Officer, Overture Center for the Arts (Madison)
$30 million raised

“When The River Food Pantry set out to raise $12 million for a new facility, we needed a partner who could match the scale of our ambition. McDonald Schaefer exceeded every expectation. They brought structure and confidence to a process that was entirely new for our Board and staff. I wholeheartedly recommend them to any organization ready to take on a transformational campaign. They are true partners in mission.”

Rhonda Adams, Executive Director, The River Food Pantry (Madison)
$12 million raised

“Our goal was daunting. McDonald Schaefer partnered with us to structure the substantial fundraising campaign needed to build the new Farm + Food Exploration Center. They confidently led our capital campaign with the process, discipline, and tools that helped advance the project. With a large goal and no established fundraising program or dedicated development staff, McDonald Schaefer was an invaluable partner to make our ambitious vision a reality.”

Andy Reitz, Executive Director, Farm + Food Exploration Center (Stevens Point area)
$36 million raised

“I just marvel at our experience with McDonald Schaefer, from our feasibility study to raising over $8 million for the Land Ethic Campaign – that was success that was beyond our wildest dreams when we’d begun this process and it’s absolutely attributable to McDonald Schaefer. There is no way we could have had that kind of success without their expertise and experience.”

Buddy Huffaker, Executive Director, Aldo Leopold Foundation (Baraboo)
$8.25 million raised

“It was wonderful working with McDonald Schaefer because they really brought that sense of partnership to the project. They brought in their expertise and they married it so beautifully to our experience and our knowledge of the donors. That has everything to do with the kind of success we saw.”

Mary Donahue, Director of Development, Ronald McDonald House (Madison)
$9.5 million raised

“We had heard a lot about different projects and the success McDonald Schaefer was having. We invited them in for a presentation and immediately fell in love with them. They were very warm and we felt they could blend in with our community. They really helped us structure a campaign that was doable; it was a good feeling of comfort, it wasn’t panic and chaos, it was a very structured and confident process.”

Tracey Pederson, Foundation Director, Monroe Clinic
$2.8 million raised

“We had to raise $11.6 million. So, then we started looking and ended up with McDonald Schaefer. We needed to feel comfortable with the people we were working with, and McDonald Schaefer had those people. I think now if you asked every board member what they thought about the fundraising process, they would laugh thinking they could run the campaign themselves.”

Pete Kappelman, Board Director, Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center (Manitowoc)
$13 million raised

“McDonald Schaefer did a feasibility study and then came back with a really in-depth report that’s one of the best consulting reports that I’ve seen in my lifetime, really giving us the confidence and validating our thoughts that we would be able to raise the type of money that we needed.”

Scott McFadden, President & CEO, Lutheran Home (Milwaukee)
$10 million raised

“When we outgrew our building, McDonald Schaefer did a feasibility study and initially told us we could raise $7 – 8 million, but our project would require $12 million! That made a really strong positive impression on me like these guys really know what they’re doing and they’re not overselling; they are truly going to partner with us and they’re going to tell us what we need to hear and know.”

Patrick Vanderburgh, President, Milwaukee Rescue Mission
$13 million raised

“The timeline was short. Typically to raise $5 million we’d want more than 18 months. To have McDonald Schaefer’s leadership was really essential.”

Lea Culver, Sauk Prairie Healthcare Foundation Chair, Campaign Co-Chair
$5 million raised

“I think we’re one of the fastest campaigns McDonald Schaefer has ever done. We were able to complete the campaign in less than a year. So, it was very successful and a smart move for us to use McDonald Schaefer. Don’t go alone, don’t try to do the campaign alone. It will work, it will be successful.”

Mary Link, Stoughton Hospital Foundation Director
$2.4 million raised

“I speak for The Prairie Enthusiasts staff, board, and volunteers in saying that your incredible Campaign Director was absolutely vital to the success of our campaign. We could not have done this without her. She worked long hours with diligence, competence, grace, and good humor. She enabled many of us on the fundraising team to reach folks and request gifts in ways we had not done. She made it seem easy and pleasant. She knows fundraising – that’s obvious – but even more important, she brings out the best in people.”

Topf Wells, Chief of Staff at Dane County, Campaign Chair, The Prairie Enthusiasts (Madison area)
$3 million raised

“The McDonald Schaefer team was just extraordinary! They brought professionalism and a strong partnership to our fundraising feasibility study. Their expertise in higher education was a huge asset and allowed our donors and closest friends to feel confident with the process and how their feedback would shape the campaign. The updates along the way and the final report were in-depth, providing key perspectives that will help us achieve our goals. We are very pleased with our experience.”

Katie Kuznacic, Foundation President and Vice Chancellor for University Relations, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
$50 million - $100 million feasibility study

McDonald Schaefer exclusively serves the nonprofit sector.
We work with organizations of all sizes with varied missions including:

Arts, Cultures & Humanities
Education
Environment, Conservation & Animal Welfare
Healthcare

Human Services
Sports & Recreation
Faith-based, Religious & Spiritual Development

Contact McDonald Schaefer

With offices in Milwaukee and Madison, we provide services for capital campaigns, general fundraising and capacity building to help our nonprofit partners raise the funds they need to better fulfill their missions.

CONTACT US

Success Stories

Client Testimonials

McDonald Schaefer exclusively serves the nonprofit sector. We work with organizations of all sizes with varied missions including:

With offices in Milwaukee and Madison, we provide services for capital campaigns, general fundraising and capacity building to help our nonprofit partners raise the funds they need to better fulfill their missions.

McDonald Schaefer exclusively serves the nonprofit sector.
We work with organizations of all sizes with varied missions including: