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GREATER MILWAUKEE FOUNDATION

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Contact information:
101 West Pleasant Street, Suite 210
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414-272-5805
Fax: 414-272-6235
E-mail: info@greatermilwaukeefoundation.org

Website: http://www.greatermilwaukeefoundation.org/

Type of foundation: Community foundation

Types of grants: Capital, equipment, matching/challenge support, program, evaluation. seed money, technical assistance.

Description: The Foundation was established in 1915. The Foundation is made up of over 920 charitable funds, each created by individual donors or families to serve the charitable causes of their choice. Grants from these funds serve people throughout Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ozaukee and Washington counties and beyond. The Foundation's highest funding priority is supporting creative efforts that address issues of poverty, particularly grants focused on education, employment and strengthening children, youth and families. Grants focus on:

  • Arts and Culture: The Foundation looks to strengthen the administrative, fiscal and artistic capacity of arts and cultural organizations, particularly those projects or programs that enhance earned revenue and improve access to the arts for new and underserved audiences through community outreach and educational programming. Additionally, the Foundation recognizes the arts as a basic need and as a strategy and philosophy. It promotes the use of arts and culture to enhance traditional education (primary, secondary and higher education) and to facilitate outreach into communities. Artists, arts organizations and cultural institutions are encouraged to collaborate and form strategic partnerships to generate projects within other Foundation priority areas.
  • Community Development: The Foundation targets small geographical areas through collaborative neighborhood projects for housing, business and commercial development and community infrastructure by building on the best practices of economic development in urban areas.
  • Education: The Foundation supports collaborative projects between nonprofit organizations and public and private schools that improve math, science and reading skills and programs that expand neighborhood schools' availability as resources for parents and the community.
  • Employment, Training and Job Creation: The Foundation supports job training, technical education and job skills enhancement. Support is also given for proposals that look to connect disadvantaged job seekers with meaningful employment opportunities or remove existing barriers to job access.
  • Environment: The Foundation gives support to improve the quality of the environment through reduced pollution and waste; to promote the conservation and restoration of natural areas, habitats and green spaces; to educate young people and adults through interactions with local urban and rural environments; and to protect wildlife and endangered species.
  • Health and Human Services: The Foundation provides support for abuse prevention; programs that address critical human concerns, such as homelessness, hunger and persistent poverty; alternatives to institutional care; health education and advocacy to provide better access to health care for low-income and uninsured persons; disease prevention; and programs that address social justice and improve services to disadvantaged groups, and demonstrate the efficacy of community alternatives to incarceration.
  • Strengthening Children, Youth and Families: The Foundation looks to develop support systems for children, youth and families. It supports projects that nurture learning and growing in infants and young children, especially related to quality day care and those that impact critical issues which negatively affect child and youth development.
  • Wisconsin AIDS Fund: Established in 1988, the Wisconsin AIDS Fund aims to reduce the impact of AIDS and HIV-related problems in the state of Wisconsin and primarily in the greater Milwaukee area by providing support for programs directed at prevention of the further spread of the HIV disease.

Sample grants:

  • $1.9 million to Radio for Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI for general operating support (2007).
  • $75,000 to WYMS - FM Radio, Milwaukee, WI for program initiative (2005).
  • $56,750 to WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio, Milwaukee, WI for general support (2003).
  • $50,000 to UWM Foundation, Milwaukee, WI for WTMJ-TV News Film Collection (2007).
  • $25,000 to Channel 10/36 Friends, Milwaukee, WI for fundraising and fund distribution (2004).

Fit for public broadcasting: The Foundation has made multiple gifts for public media. Gifts to media appear to highlight the Foundation's support of local community broadcasts. The Foundation has made 79 grants for radio/television projects over the past seven years, totaling more than $4.4 million.

Eligibility: Giving primarily in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha, WI. No support for the general use of churches or for sectarian religious purposes, or for specific medical or scientific projects, except from components of the Foundation established for such purposes. No grants to individuals (except for established awards), or for operating budgets, continuing support, annual campaigns, endowment funds or deficit financing. 

Deadline: Letters of Inquiry are accepted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. Capital requests are reviewed at the December Board meeting.

How to apply: After reviewing the Foundation guidelines [PDF], applicants should update their profile on Philanthropy Online. They can then submit an online letter of inquiry (the profile must be completed first). Visit Foundation website for online letter of inquiry and application guidelines here. The Foundation's staff will invite selected applicants to submit full proposals based on letter of inquiry. Capital requests are reviewed at December board meeting. Application form required.  

Initial approach: Contact Foundation Program Officer.

Board meeting dates: March, June, September, December, and as needed

Additional information: Prospective grant applicants may contact the Foundation to discuss possible projects at any time.

Giving range: The average gift for radio/television is approximately $55,000. The Foundation has made gifts as high as $3.2 million.

Assets: $429,446,000 (2008)

Total giving: $32,200,000 (2008)

View 2008 Annual Report [PDF].