Long-term investment in their hometown

Foundation provides Arizona couple with important connection to home

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Ted and Jeanne Hasbrook are Badger State born and bred — Ted in Green Bay and Jeanne in Whitefish Bay.

Both attended University of Wisconsin-Madison before moving to the Milwaukee area to start careers and a family.

Retiring out West, however, had long been part of the couple’s retirement plan and for more than two decades, they have resided in Tucson, Arizona. But two things keep them connected to home — their children, two of whom live in Wisconsin, and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

“The Foundation continues to make us feel like we are a good part of Wisconsin,” said Ted, who started the Ted and Jeanne Hasbrook Fund with his wife in 1991. 

“It’s so nice to know that even though we haven’t donated directly in the last few years, our fund continues to be a strong one.”

Jeanne, a former school teacher, said they feel strongly about helping people in need and both volunteered while living in Wisconsin. Jeanne volunteered at Milwaukee’s Laubach Literacy Center, served as a Girl Scout troop leader and joined Father Groppi in the city’s first open housing march. Together the couple served meals through St. Benedict the Moor’s meal program and was involved in their church, St. Monica’s in Whitefish Bay. Giving back, even after going away, remained important.

Hasbrook became familiar with the Foundation through the Milwaukee Journal, where he worked in advertising. When Journal Communications created a Foundation fund in1986 to commemorate its 50th anniversary of being employee owned, the Hasbrooks were among the original donors to add to the fund by contributing company stock. 

What impressed them most about the Foundation was its ability to continue to meet a wide range of community needs over the years because of its strong investment performance. The couple created an unrestricted fund, giving the Board full discretion to make grants to respond to the community’s most pressing needs. Over the years, their fund has supported a number of interest areas such as community development through agencies like Common Ground.

“The Foundation is right there and is aware of what the needs are,” Ted said. “It’s so nice to know that even though we haven’t donated directly in the last few years, our fund continues to be a strong one.”

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