Parks Foundation Launches Corporate Sponsorship Program

Washington Park pool. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The Milwaukee Parks Foundation launched a new fundraising initiative in July called “Love Your Parks” aimed at attracting donations from the private sector.

The foundation, which was created in 2019 to fundraise and accept donations on behalf of Milwaukee County Parks, is using the initiative to explore raising funds for parks through corporate sponsorship.

Naming rights for public parks are not for sale, but corporations and local businesses are invited to sponsor new amenities or improvements with the promise of recognition, Tristen Shorter, associate foundation director told Urban Milwaukee.

“A sponsor might receive temporary recognition through signage stating an amenity is ‘supported by’ their organization, recognition in marketing materials, or opportunities to sponsor a free community day at the Mitchell Park Domes or Boerner Botanical Gardens,” Shorter said.

The program is focused on “creating partnerships that enhance public access, strengthen community pride, and generate additional resources for park improvements. Milwaukee Parks Foundation will work with each corporate partner to create a customized plan aligned with the company’s goals, values, and community impact priorities,” according to a statement released by the foundation.

Along with amenities, businesses could sponsor parks programming and receive recognition in promotional materials for the event. Milwaukee County Parks and the foundation have already engaged in partnership deals like this. The recent July 3 drone shows sponsored by Michael Hupy and his law firm Hupy & Abraham featured advertising for the firm.

Parks stewardship opportunities, like tree plantings, could also incorporate recognition of a corporate sponsor through signage, Shorter said.

“Our goal is to generate new private resources that help address the park system’s significant funding needs while preserving parks as public spaces for everyone,” Shorter said.

The parks system does not have a dedicated source of funding, and decades of county financial challenges have shrunk the department’s annual budget. The system has a backlog of infrastructure and maintenance needs estimated at approximately $500 million over the next five years. In response, the department has gotten creative, growing revenue-generating services, like beer gardens, and working with the foundation to fund programming and park improvements.

In recent years, the foundation has exceeded its own expectations when fundraising for parks. In 2024, it launched “Cheers to our Parks” in partnership with Molson Coors, with a goal of raising $500,000 over the next two years. It reached the goal in six months and raised the target to $1.25 million.

“Milwaukee’s parks are among our community’s greatest assets,” said Rebecca Stoner, Executive Director of Milwaukee Parks Foundation. “They improve our quality of life, support physical and mental well-being, strengthen neighborhoods, and connect us to nature. The Love Your Parks Corporate Sponsorship Program creates new opportunities for businesses to be part of protecting and enhancing these public spaces for future generations.”