The award-winning National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium (NMRMA) in Dubuque, Iowa, is a treasure trove of history, culture and environmental stewardship. Welcoming over 200,000 visitors a year, however, its exhibits and infrastructure needed upgrading and enhancement to preserve its value and status as a premier national historic site. It reached out to Amperage for help with a capital campaign to raise funds and elevate awareness of its many unique offerings.

Our strategy: Conduct a feasibility study, provide campaign consultation throughout, pre-campaign planning including prospect research, evaluation and tracking, volunteer recruitment, policy and procedure development and full campaign strategy, execution and marketing support.

After our feasibility study revealed a $10 million goal was attainable, Amperage led NMRMA through a comprehensive, multiphase process that both prepared its team to conduct a major capital campaign and provided the guidance and tools to ensure its success. Despite being paused for 15 months during COVID, the goal of $10 million “Preserve the Wonder” campaign was surpassed after an Amperage-led campaign restart. As a result, the facility’s stunning upgrades will be worthy of its vital roles of preservation, education and stewardship for years to come.