Old World Wisconsin

What Old World Wisconsin does

Old World Foundation, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 (originally as Friends of Old World Wisconsin, renamed in 2005) that channels private philanthropic support to Old World Wisconsin, a 600-acre state historic site in Eagle, Wisconsin administered by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Old World Wisconsin opened in 1976 as part of America's bicentennial celebration and interprets 19th-century rural Wisconsin life through 60+ historic buildings, heritage breed livestock, heirloom gardens, and hands-on programming; the site attracts 70,000+ visitors annually during a May–October operating season. The Foundation's purpose is to fill the funding gap between state support/earned revenue and the site's preservation, animal care, education, and guest-experience needs; since inception it has directed $10 million in cumulative gifts to Old World Wisconsin and holds eight endowment funds.

The Foundation operates a diversified fundraising model with multiple revenue streams: individual donations through the Friends program (Cultivator tier at $1,000+, Sustainer recurring monthly gifts), corporate sponsorships with 14+ named Wisconsin partners (Milwaukee Tool, Associated Bank, Standard Process, Generac, Citizens Bank, Findorff, Thelen, IAG Wealth Partners, among others), foundation grants (Wispact, Potawatomi Heart of Canal Street), a tiered heritage breed animal sponsorship program ($50–$1,000+), and planned giving via the Legacy Society (estate gifts, charitable trusts, QCDs). Pricing is structured across transaction-based event tickets ($250–$5,000 for the Sunset Soiree), unit-priced animal sponsorships, monthly subscriptions, and one-time grants; all gifts are tax-deductible. Distribution is primarily direct — on-site visitor engagement and executive-led corporate outreach — supplemented by online donations via the DonorPerfect platform and donor cultivation through a Constant Contact email newsletter plus Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn channels.

Operations are lean: a two-person professional staff (Executive Director Gwen Griffin and Executive Assistant Kira Meehan) supported by a volunteer Board of Trustees with deep Wisconsin executive and legal pedigree (former State Bar of Wisconsin CFO Paul Marshall as Treasurer, attorneys and senior corporate officers from Standard Process, HDR, and Moertl Wilkins & Campbell). The Foundation earned a Candid GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency in 2024 and is preparing for Old World Wisconsin's 50th-anniversary celebration in 2026 alongside the Foundation's own 40th anniversary milestone. The technology layer is non-proprietary, there are no AI capabilities, and no commercial product surface beyond the fundraising and visitor-experience mission; the Sunset Soiree annual fundraiser has cumulatively raised over $316,000 since 2019.

Name

Old World Wisconsin

Legal name

Old World Wisconsin Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://oldworldfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Old World Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit that funds preservation, education, and heritage-breed programs at Old World Wisconsin, a 600-acre state historic site serving 70,000+ annual visitors through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and planned giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Living History Museum and Historical Site Preservation

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Living history museum
• Heritage breed conservation
• Historical site preservation
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Educational programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagle River

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals at various levels through Friends program, Cultivator ($1000+), and one-time gifts
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual corporate partnerships with recognition benefits, including Milwaukee Tool, Associated Bank, Standard Process, and other businesses supporting programs and events
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations including Wispact and Potawatomi Heart of Canal Street for specific projects like accessibility improvements
4. Animal Sponsorship Program: Tiered sponsorship program for heritage breed animals at $50, $100, $250, $500, and $1000+ levels with corresponding benefits
5. Planned Giving: Legacy Society accepting bequests through wills, beneficiary designations, charitable remainder trusts, and QCDs from IRA holders age 70.5+

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Old World Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit that raises charitable funds to support Old World Wisconsin, a 600-acre state historic site with 60+ historic buildings, heritage breed animals, and heirloom gardens. The Foundation operates giving programs including individual donations, the Friends membership program, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, the Sponsor an Animal tiered program, the Legacy Society for planned giving, and the annual Sunset Soiree fundraiser.

Product overview

Old World Foundation operates as a non-profit fundraising organization supporting Old World Wisconsin, a 600-acre state historic site with over 60 historic buildings, heritage breed animals, and heirloom gardens. The Foundation's programs include the annual Sunset Soiree fundraiser, animal sponsorship tiers, Friends membership program, corporate and foundation partnerships, and planned giving through the Legacy Society. These programs collectively address funding gaps between state support and the site's operational needs, preserving Wisconsin's 19th-century rural heritage through charitable donations and volunteer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunset Soiree Annual Fundraiser Annual evening fundraising event featuring live music, food, cocktails, silent auction, and raffle. Donations support Old World Wisconsin projects and programs including heritage breed animal care, heirloom gardens, and historic building preservation.
• Sponsor an Animal

Quantifiable outcome

• $10 million in gifts to Old World Wisconsin since 1984
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Milwaukee Tool - Mukwonago OperationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor of The Blacksmith Experience at Old World Wisconsin; provides funding and in-kind support for heritage crafts programming; also supports through employee volunteering and matching gifts
• Associated BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor of The Token Experience at Old World Wisconsin; provides annual support as recognized corporate partner with volunteer engagement
• Citizens BanksupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Supporting sponsor of Sunset Soiree fundraiser; provides employee volunteers for events; recognized corporate partner
• Generac CorporationsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner providing employee volunteers for events and fundraising support at Old World Wisconsin
• FindorffsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Underwriting sponsor of Sunset Soiree 2026 fundraiser helping offset event costs
• Thelen Total ConstructionsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor of Sunset Soiree; Lake and rural home specialists designing and building exceptional custom homes
• IAG Wealth PartnerssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Supporting sponsor of Sunset Soiree; wealth management firm providing financial support for fundraiser
• Creative Plastics Corp.supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner recognized for supporting Old World Wisconsin through Old World Foundation
• Hooper CorporationsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner recognized for support during fiscal year
• Kusch Tree Service LLCsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner recognized for support during fiscal year
• Lorton Data, Inc.supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner recognized for support during fiscal year
• Moertl, Wilkins & Campbell, S.C.supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner and law firm recognized for support during fiscal year; Board member Jennifer Lasky is attorney/partner
• Waukesha State BanksupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner recognized for support during fiscal year
• Standard ProcesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Long-term corporate supporter since 1929; headquartered in Palmyra, WI; funded trail accessibility improvements for visitors with physical limitations, wagons, and strollers; employees benefit from community nature access

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Storrowton Village Museum: Historic village at Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts presenting 19th-century New England rural life. Comparable in scale and thematic focus but operates as part of a larger fair-grounds organization rather than an independent foundation-supported museum.

Direct peers

• Living History Farms: Iowa-based open-air agricultural history museum interpreting rural Midwestern life from 1700 to 1900. Closely comparable in regional Midwestern focus, 19th-century rural interpretation, heritage breed animals, and foundation-supported operating model.
• Shelburne Museum: Vermont-based museum of American folk and decorative arts housed across many historic buildings on a large grounds footprint. Comparable in scale, multi-building historic site model, and nonprofit foundation support structure.
• Old Sturbridge Village: Living-history museum presenting early 19th-century rural New England life. Comparable mission, visitor scale, seasonal operating model, and reliance on a nonprofit support structure with corporate and individual giving.
• Colonial Williamsburg Foundation: A 501(c)(3) foundation operating a large-scale living-history museum complex. Directly comparable as a private nonprofit foundation supporting an immersive historic site experience with diversified giving programs (individual, corporate, planned giving) and similar donor cultivation model.
• Strawbery Banke Museum: Outdoor history museum in Portsmouth, NH presenting four centuries of American life through restored buildings. Comparable in operating model (seasonal open-air historic site with foundation support, individual/corporate giving, and educational programming).
• Historic Deerfield: Historic New England village presenting early American rural life through restored buildings and craft programs. Comparable in interpretive approach, historic-building preservation focus, and nonprofit foundation funding model.
• Plimoth Patuxet Museums (Plimoth Plantation): Living-history museum presenting early American settler life. Closely comparable mission (interpretive historic site), revenue model (admissions + fundraising), and reliance on a nonprofit foundation structure supporting seasonal on-site programming.
• Conner Prairie (Conner Prairie Museum): Indiana-based living-history museum covering 19th-century rural and pioneer life. Direct peer in scale, interpretive approach (heritage breeds, historic buildings, hands-on programs), and nonprofit foundation fundraising model.

Broad incumbents

• Greenfield Village (Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation): Larger, broader American-history museum complex that includes an extensive historic village with relocated buildings. Comparable as a larger incumbent in the same space but with a wider portfolio beyond rural-living interpretation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OldWorldWiscFound
• Facebookfacebook.com/OldWorldFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-world-wisconsin-foundation/posts/?feedView=all

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Old World Wisconsin