First Ever WK&C Library Campaign - a Success!

Woodburn, Kyle & Company recently completed its first-ever library campaign for the Hartford Public Library, Hartford, Wisconsin. The late Mrs. Geraldine Russell, a local resident, began the push to construct a new library for the community when she gave the City of Hartford, a $2 million gift in memory of her husband, Mr. Jack Russell, towards the construction of a new library.

A master plan for a new facility called for a 35,000 square foot freestanding facility costing $10 million. When creating a financial strategy, the library board called Woodburn, Kyle & Company to conduct a Campaign Planning Study to see how much money could be raised towards the new facility. Knowing that an additional $2 million could be raised, the Board set out to create a financial strategy where they sought city support for half of the cost of the proposed facility of $5 million, in addition to their reserves of $1 million.

Having a completed Campaign Planning Study was important to the funding process because it provided documentation of community support for the project, identified a realistic goal of $2 million, and provided the City Council with the information they needed to vote in support of the project's funding. Woodburn, Kyle & Company's presentation to City Council of the Campaign Planning Study Findings Report was carried over local cable and was available for viewing by the community.

The Campaign occurred during the height of the recession, but because the Campaign Planning Study had provided such insight about the community's questions regarding the new library and its construction, commitment to completing the campaign continued. The campaign resulted in exceeding its goal, raising $2.3 million in a public-private partnership for the new Jack Russell Memorial Library.

Hartford, Wisconsin is a community of 13,858 people located about 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee. This is our firm's fourth successful campaign in this community.

What are people telling us?

Recently, we completed a Campaign Planning Study for Jasper County Hospital/Foundation - Rensselaer, Indiana. We tested for a goal of $2 million over a pledge period of three to five years. What we found interesting was not the actual recommendations to establish a goal ranging between $1.25 and $1.5 million, but the contradiction in the statistical responses to some of our questions.

Questions relating to volunteering, giving, and leadership all scored very high, but the question seeking feedback about the economy met with responses ranging from Stable to Slightly Declining. We interpreted these responses to mean that if you have a credible institution, an appealing project, and a good case, people are enthusiastic about giving, even if the economy is not ideal.

Multiple programs for one Client

We conducted a capital campaign for the newly created Highlands Foundation for the Highlands Regional Medical Center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. Towards the end of the campaign for a new Emergency Department, we completed a strategic plan and Board Development for the Foundation. However, our work was not to stop there.

During the campaign, the Hospital was finalizing an agreement with the Cleveland Clinic to create a Center for Autism on the Highlands Regional Medical Center Campus. We were asked to organize an ongoing campaign to help fund scholarships for this landmark center. Today, the infrastructure is in place and we look forward to hearing reports of the children helped by this program.