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St. Marcus Lutheran School -
For 130 plus years St. Marcus Lutheran School has provided quality education that inspires young minds by cultivating a thirst for learning and a faith in Jesus Christ. Originally serving German immigrants in the last half of the 19th Century, today, of the 425 students in K4 through 8th grade, 85% participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. The results speak for themselves. St. Marcus Lutheran School is known nationally as a model for high student achievement in urban settings, and graduates are advanced or proficient in reading, math and language arts with standardized test scores beating the national average. All students plan on attending college. It was when the school wanted to expand and increase enrollment from 300 to 600, that they began working with alinea in 2008. alinea began with a feasibility study that not only confirmed that $12 million could be raised, but that many people who were unfamiliar with St. Marcus expressed interest in getting involved. “We found ourselves going into uncharted waters with alinea,” said Christine Safranak, the school’s Development Director. “Most organizations pull back from decisions to enter a capital campaign. We had so much work to do, that in a way it was a blessing in disguise. When the economy was crashing we were really busy building relationships. The hidden blessing was that the work that we did in 2009 led us to an amazing 2010," exclaimed Christine. One of the challenges that St. Marcus school faced involved making changes to their internal structure and mindset. Christine admitted that Shemagne, her alinea consultant, at times had to deliver tough messages that they weren't ready to hear. She found alinea's holistic approach and ability to be co-passionate and adopt the mission and vision of St. Marcus School unique. “What we looked like from the outside wasn't who we were. We really needed someone to live in our shoes. Shemagne really had to experience what it was like to be one of us, and she did that with all her heart,” explained Ms. Safranek. “It wasn't just about fund-raising; it was about branding, storytelling and connecting. It was broader than what you would typically use a campaign consultant for." By October of 2010 the school still needed to raise $800,000 more dollars and $7 million in total pledges to begin construction. In that one month, they received more than $660,000 in donations! By October 31st, Phase I of contruction began.
“By adopting our mission, alinea is helping us reach more kids, improve access to quality education and change the landscape of education in Milwaukee,” Christine said. “My personal opinion is that is a rare quality in a consultant. It is no cookie cutter approach. Shemagne lives the effort whether or not it is comfortable.” |
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Above the Clouds
Do you know a nonprofit or school that needs more resources? Could they benefit by developing a professional case statement, empowering their board with tools to raise money, or learning the art of relationship fundraising? Pass this e-newsletter along and encourage them to visit www.alineaconnect.com to learn about an upcoming seminar or schedule a FREE CONSULTATION to learn how alinea helps nonprofits and schools attract more resources. If your referral ends up hiring alinea, we’ll send you a $50 gift card to Amazon.com. |
