Bader Philanthropies, Inc., one of southeastern Wisconsin’s top five foundations, announced that it plans to relocate and build a global headquarters on Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr., in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood. The new office location is in response to the organization’s overall strategic growth plan and allows the Foundation to truly “live its mission” by putting down roots and embedding itself in one of the many communities it supports. The new location is tentatively scheduled to open in summer 2018, when the organization’s current lease expires in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. All of the staff will be relocating to the new office at that time.
While Bader Philanthropies funds programs throughout greater Milwaukee, and will continue to do so, this will make it the first foundation in Wisconsin that funds programs in the central city to move its offices there. Since 1992, Bader Philanthropies has granted more than $265 million and has given more than 6,000 grants to nonprofits in 10 different countries. Although the majority of these dollars have gone to organizations throughout the greater Milwaukee area and Wisconsin, a portion is also given annually in central Europe, Israel and globally.
“The decision to relocate to the Harambee neighborhood, which translates to ‘all pull together’ in Swahili, is literally and figuratively a commitment to the City of Milwaukee,” said Daniel J. Bader, president and CEO of Bader Philanthropies. “The Helen Bader Foundation and now Bader Philanthropies exist as a result of my mother and father’s business success. Our family business, Aldrich Chemical Company, was located in the City of Milwaukee for 24 years. Personally, I remember the times when my mother, Helen Daniels Bader, volunteered at the Legal Aid Society. She was deeply passionate about helping men, women and children living in the central city reach their full potential. By making the decision to move to Harambee, we are coming full circle by having a physical presence back in the central city.”
Bader Philanthropies’ vision and hope is that the physical building provides a welcoming environment and becomes a living example of what is possible when people and organizations work together with the common goal of transforming lives.
The new space will include more than 22,000 square feet to accommodate offices for program and operations staff, conference rooms and a business center for program partners. Within the new building, 3,700 square feet will be dedicated to meeting space which will increase and improve convening capabilities for both internal needs and community partners accommodating up to 120 people, which doubles its current capacity. In addition to the building itself, there are plans for nearly 50 guest parking spaces. The building is conveniently located near I-43 to allow guests easy on and off access to the Foundation.
To accommodate its new global headquarters, Bader Philanthropies purchased three private properties and four sites owned by the City of Milwaukee. One of the private properties, a multi-use building that has been a part of the neighborhood since 1927 but has been vacant for the last several years, will be incorporated into the new office’s design to further showcase Harambee’s proud traditions and rich history. Construction on the new building is scheduled to begin in June 2017, following the pre-development and design phases.
Bader Philanthropies, Inc. plans to engage Harambee residents and its neighbors regarding its new location. Residents will have the opportunity to see renderings of the new global headquarters, learn more about Bader Philanthropies and ask questions. The listening session will be coordinated with 6th District Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs.
Listening Session:
Time: 6 p.m.
Date: Monday, August 15
Location:
HeartLove Place, 3229 N.
Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.,
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Bader Philanthropies will be providing updates to the project, including photos of the development as they happen on its website at www.bader.org and via social media.