Philanthropist Invests $5 Million Each In Milwaukee’s Major Arts Organizations

Three Milwaukee arts institutions may each have $10 million more in the bank by the end of 2026.

The Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Repertory Theater each received a gift of $5 million from philanthropists Ellen and Joe Checota, the institutions announced Monday.

The $5 million payments are “challenge gifts,” the institutions’ statement said. That means they’re contingent on the institutions raising matching funds on their own.

“It is my understanding that it’s matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5 million,” Milwaukee Rep executive director Chad Bauman told WPR.

“It’s an incredibly visionary gift,” he said.

Ellen Checota is an artist. Joe Checota founded Landmark Healthcare Facilities, a Milwaukee-based real estate developer of outpatient clinics.

Growing endowments the goal of gifts

The gifts are meant to grow each institution’s endowments — investment funds that provide an income stream.

Currently, the art museum’s endowment is about $68 million, the theater’s is about $18 million and the orchestra’s is $40 million, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

Ticket sales have accounted for less of Milwaukee arts organizations’ revenue since 2012.

That’s according to a May 2024 report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The report didn’t include the Milwaukee Art Museum.

It also said Wisconsin ranks 50th in the country for per capita arts funding from state government.

Meanwhile, philanthropy that stepped in during the COVID-19 pandemic has remained an important revenue source for Milwaukee arts institutions, the report said.

Having an endowment “helps weather fluctuations in other revenue streams,” Bauman said.

For the theater, he said the gift “will help offset some of that public support and allow us to continue to produce world-class art for our community.”

The theater is opening a new building in the fall and aiming to have 30,000 students attend its shows next year.

Gifts matched to the $5 million are limited to $350,000 per household to “grow the base of donors who will support the arts in Milwaukee,” the institutions’ statement said. That matching campaign’s deadline is the end of 2026.