The Kellogg Family Foundation has donated $10 million to the Milwaukee Public Museum for its $240 million future museum project.
The gift marks the largest private donation thus far to MPM’s “Wisconsin Wonders” fundraising campaign, which has now brought in a total of $148 million, including $63 million in private donations, $45 million from Milwaukee County and $40 million from the State of Wisconsin.
The project’s private fundraising goal is $150 million.
In recognition of the Kellogg family’s donation, the museum’s Wisconsin-focused exhibit floor will be named the “Winifred & Spencer Kellogg Gallery: Wisconsin Journey,” in honor of the parents of billionaire William S. Kellogg, president of the Kellogg Family Foundation. Previously known as the Wisconsin Journey gallery, the exhibit will focus on the geological wonders and strong and varied cultures of Wisconsin – from the Driftless Area to the Northwoods, the Apostle Islands, the Great Lakes and Wisconsin’s vast prairielands. Read more about the exhibit here.
The Milwaukee-based Kellogg Family Foundation was founded by Bonnie and William S. Kellogg as a funding source of their philanthropy. William Kellogg led the group of investors who took over Menomonee Falls-based department store chain Kohl’s in 1986. Then as CEO, he led the company to go public in 1992 before stepping down in 1999. His family’s foundation focuses its support on institutions dedicated to the welfare of children, with its main effort directed at the Kellogg PEAK Initiative, which operates a program center in Milwaukee’s Midtown neighborhood.
“Wisconsin was a special place to my late parents, Winifred and Spencer Kellogg,” said William Kellogg. “As a family, we enjoyed frequent trips up north, including to the Apostle Islands, where we explored this beautiful state. The Kellogg Family Foundation is proud to honor my parents’ legacy by supporting MPM’s vision for a museum that makes the wonders of Wisconsin accessible to all those who visit – including those who may not be able to travel the state. We are also excited to be able to make the museum available to the participants of the Kellogg PEAK Initiative.”
As part of the foundation’s $10 million gift, PEAK program participants will get free admission to the new MPM.
The Kellogg Family Foundation joins a group of more than 250 philanthropists and organizations who have contributed to the Wisconsin Wonders capital campaign since it launched in 2021.
Groundbreaking for MPM’s new building is planned for a 2.4-acre site northeast of 6th Street and McKinley Avenue in the Haymarket neighborhood near downtown Milwaukee.
“It is the generosity of people like William S. Kellogg and organizations like The Kellogg Family Foundation that will enable us to create a new museum where future generations of visitors can learn about the world around us and leave feeling inspired,” said Ellen Censky, president and CEO of MPM.
