Two missions become one vision

                                                                   
This New Year brings exciting changes as two premier organizations serving people who are blind and visually impaired in Milwaukee join together.

The Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired and The Center  for Blind and Visually Impaired Children are excited to announce that  they have merged into one new organization. The decision to merge was spearheaded and approved by each organization’s leadership, board of directors and membership. Patrick Brown, executive director of the Badger Association, explains the merger as a partnership that emerged from, “both organizations’ board of directors believing that a complete merger will best further the mission of serving individuals of all ages with visual impairments and maximize efficient use of community resources.”

The foundation for this merger was built in 2000 when Executive Directors from Milwaukee-based organizations that serve people with sensory impairments first began meeting. The original idea was to expand the Badger Association’s existing 912 Hawley Road building and that this new building would then become the home base for an alliance of organizations. The hope was that the new center would be intergenerational, serving people of all ages, from children to the elderly Although this collaborative vision never came to pass, the idea of offering integrated services under one roof remained an attractive concept to many people.

The Badger Association and The Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children resumed discussions of a potential partnership in the summer of 2008. Together the organizations identified many potential benefits to a partnership that made it a possibility worth exploring. A partnership that located both organizations on a single site would serve individuals of all ages with visual impairments and provide for a more efficient use of community resources. After the initial benefits were sketched out, the organizations participated in a full assessment that more fully explored the potential opportunities and costs that might arise from a partnership.

A committee composed of the senior leadership and representatives from the Board of Directors of each organization helped to guide the exploration process. The committee was aided in their efforts by experienced nonprofit management consultants. “Our hope was that these efforts would lead to a synergy of programs dedicated to enhancing quality of life and increasing opportunities for independence among children and adults who are living with changing vision within the Greater Milwaukee community,” recalled Terri Davis, executive director of The Center for Blind & Visually Impaired Children. After the leadership committee had explored potential partnership scenarios with due diligence, the board of directors of each organization ultimately determined a full merger would be the best option.

As of January 1, 2010, the new organization began operating under the name of the Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired with Patrick Brown as the executive director and Terri Davis, serving as the associate director. Both facilities will continue to operate on separate locations until sufficient funds are raised to integrate staffing and renovate a wing of the Badger Association’s current facility to accommodate the children’s programming. It is believed that a merger of these organizations will provide great value to the community by providing a central location where children and adults experiencing vision loss and their families can gain access to a wide network of services. Combining staff will maximize resources and result in more efficient and cost-effective use of community funds. In addition, future services for school age children will finally meet the more indepth needs of students who are blind or visually impaired.

Please contact Patrick Brown, Executive Director, at p.brown@badgerassoc.org or 414-615-0108, with questions regarding the newly merged organization.