Checotas Lead Record Endowment Boost For Milwaukee Rep Theater
Couple’s challenge gift and 38 matching donors deliver $12.54 million for productions and programs.
Chad Bauman, Ellen Checota, Joe Checota and Mark Clements at Milwaukee Rep ribbon cutting. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
A $5 million challenge from philanthropists Ellen and Joe Checota has generated more than $12.5 million for Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s endowment.
Milwaukee Rep announced Monday that it completed the fundraising challenge early, securing $7.54 million from 38 additional donors. The contributions exceeded the $5 million in matching gifts required to unlock the Checotas’ commitment.
The result is a $12.54 million boost to the theater company’s endowment.
“The $12,535,000 endowment gift that resulted from the Checotas’ extraordinary generosity and visionary spirit, combined with the commitment of 38 additional donors, ensures that Milwaukee Rep will continue to produce world-class theater and serve our community for generations,” said Chad Bauman, the theater’s Ellen & Joe Checota executive director, in a statement.
“This challenge has strengthened our endowment, expanded our donor family and reinforced the vital role the arts play in Milwaukee’s civic life,” Bauman said.
The latest gift adds to the Checotas’ growing support for Milwaukee Rep.
The couple previously committed $6 million to the theater’s Powering Milwaukee Campaign, resulting in the naming of the Ellen and Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater. Combined with the endowment challenge, Milwaukee Rep says the couple is the largest donor in the organization’s 72-year history.
“Milwaukee Rep is fast-becoming one of the leading regional theaters in the United States, and Ellen and I are grateful that we are able to contribute to its future success,” said Joe Checota.
The matching requirement, Checota said, is a central piece of the couple’s approach to philanthropy.
“All of our gifts to art organizations in greater Milwaukee and our trade and technical scholarship program at the Milwaukee Area Technical College are challenge gifts that require matching support from other donors,” he said. “Ellen and I like to see the money we contribute grow, and we want to motivate more people to get into the habit of giving.”
Milwaukee Rep is one of three major Milwaukee cultural institutions selected by the Checotas to receive a $5 million endowment challenge. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Art Museum received similar commitments.
Each organization was asked to secure an equal amount in planned or cash gifts. Individual donor households could count up to $350,000 toward the match, a structure intended to encourage a broader group of long-term supporters.
If all three challenges are fully matched, the effort will add at least $30 million to the combined endowments of Milwaukee Rep, the symphony and art museum.
Milwaukee Rep’s endowment is invested, with annual earnings used to support the theater’s operating budget. The organization says a larger endowment will provide greater long-term financial stability while supporting productions and other programming.
“With the challenge now completed, Milwaukee Rep celebrates a milestone achievement and looks ahead to a future defined by artistic ambition, community connection, and sustained financial strength,” Bauman said.
Joe Checota retired in 2024 after serving as the chairman and CEO of Landmark Healthcare Facilities. In addition to gifts to arts and culture groups, the couple has given several million dollars to Milwaukee Area Technical College.
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