The Greater Milwaukee Foundation awarded $418,000 during the fourth quarter to seven area nonprofits that are working to strengthen Milwaukee area neighborhoods.

Agape Community Center, Havenwoods Economic Development Corporation, Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, Sherman Park Community Association, Urban Anthropology and University of Wisconsin-Extension Waukesha County received grants to continue their work in the Thurston Woods, Old North Milwaukee, Havenwoods, Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park, Sherman Park, Lincoln Village and Baran Park neighborhoods and Waukesha’s Tower Hill area. They participate in the Foundation’s Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, a collaborative approach among middle market neighborhoods that promotes neighborhood confidence by engaging residents in neighborhood pride projects and strengthening local real estate markets.

Since the Foundation launched the initiative in 2006, it has invested about $3 million in neighborhoods in Milwaukee and Waukesha. Money has supported projects such as pocket parks, community events, home improvement projects and a leadership building program for neighborhood residents.

“The Greater Milwaukee Foundation recognized early on that strong neighborhoods are the foundation of a healthy community,” said Darlene Russell, senior program officer. “We’ve embraced an approach to strengthen middle market neighborhoods – areas in which we can build from an area of strength but if we don’t pay attention to them, the confidence level of the residents could decline. As a result of our funding, these lead organizations have been able to attract additional dollars, engage more residents and improve more homes and public spaces, all of which have resulted in stronger neighborhoods. Their good work is contagious.”

The Foundation also provided a $75,000 grant to LISC Milwaukee to further its work toward increasing capacity building among nonprofits, leadership development among residents and nonprofit staff in Milwaukee neighborhoods and to support collaboration across neighborhoods.

The grants were part of more than $2,313,090 awarded through the Foundation’s fourth quarter competitive and discretionary grant cycle. Additional grants include:


Strengthening education

Aurora Family Service: $60,000 to provide supportive mental health services for children, their parents and teachers at four MPS schools, OW Holmes, Hopkins/Lloyd Community School, Wedgewood Park International School and Audubon Technology and Community Center.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee: $50,000 to help the agency launch Mentor2.0, a mentoring program that combines in-person mentoring with online communication.

PAVE: $50,000 to support coordination and expansion of Board Corps, a program designed to build board leadership capacity within schools.

Early Music Now: $25,000 to help the nonprofit bring two internationally respected ensembles into the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District for extended residencies.

Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club: $25,000 to help it develop a social and emotional learning program for its America SCORES Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra: $25,000 to support its Strings Initiative at Waukesha’s Blair Elementary School.

United Community Center: $25,000 toward the expansion of its precollege program.

Greater Milwaukee Committee: $20,000 for the coordination and management of My Life! My Plan!, a workshop series that works with high school students to expose them to postsecondary education and training options.

The Women’s Center: $15,000 for administration of its violence prevention program geared toward educating teens about healthy dating relationships.


Strengthening neighborhoods

LISC Milwaukee: $75,000 to support the agency’s efforts to increase capacity building among nonprofits, leadership development among residents and nonprofit staff in Milwaukee neighborhoods and support cross neighborhood collaboration.

Layton Boulevard West Neighbors: $50,000 for support of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative in Milwaukee’s Layton Boulevard area.

Agape Community Center: $45,000 for support of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative in Milwaukee’s Thurston Woods area.
Havenwoods Economic Development Corporation: $44,500 for support of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative in Milwaukee’s Havenwoods neighborhood.

Sherman Park Community Association: $43,500 for support of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative in Sherman Park.

Urban Anthropology: $35,000 for support of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative in Milwaukee’s Lincoln Village and Baran Park neighborhoods.

University of Wisconsin Extension-Waukesha County: $25,000 for support of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative in Waukesha’s Tower Hill area.


Increasing economic opportunities

Social Development Commission: $100,000 toward the agency’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program as well as to support a year-round financial literacy program that will offer financial education workshops and one-on-one financial coaching.

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Foundation: $100,000 for the Center for Aging and Translational Research.

Community Advocates: $40,000 for the Elder Abuse Intervention Project.

Wisconsin Community Services: $40,000 to support the agency’s Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability, which provides case management and legal help to low-income Milwaukee County residents who have lost their driver’s licenses.

Center for Self-Sufficiency: $25,000 to help the agency work with ex-offenders in securing and maintaining employment.

The Cathedral Center: $25,000 to expand its Community Case Management program to serve single women.

United Way of Greater Milwaukee: $25,000 in support of its Transitional Jobs policy program.

Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin: $25,000 in support of a three-year pilot project that would coordinate transportation-related services now operated by several agencies and effectively create a central hub of transportation information and access.

YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee: $25,000 for a diabetes prevention program at the Northside YMCA.

House of Peace: $11,000 for food pantry holiday food boxes.


Promoting racial equity and inclusion

Wisconsin Public Television: $25,000 to help fund the production of an hour-long documentary about local civil rights leader Vel Phillips.

Life Navigators: $15,000 to help the agency expand its Self Advocacy and Independence Program.

IMPACT Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Services: $15,000 for a diversity research intern


Regional vitality

City of Milwaukee: $125,000 that will enable the Milwaukee Health Department to create a Community Safety Data Hub.

Museum of Wisconsin Art: $125,000 (over three years) to support the museum’s curatorial and educational programming.

Medical College of Wisconsin: $25,000 for the Breast Cancer Fatigue Research Project.

Running Rebels: $25,000 for Pipeline to Promise Educational Services for Adjudicated Youth.

AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin: $20,000 for HIV prevention services through clean needle exchange.

Creative Alliance Milwaukee: $10,000 to support continued planning and development of the Creative Alliance Milwaukee's operating plan for 2014.

Skylight Music Theatre: $20,000 to support its audience development efforts.

IMPACT Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Services: $6,300 for environmental scan of AODA Services in the greater Milwaukee area and their utilization

Cedarburg Cultural Center: $6,000 toward development of a talent incubator.

Learn More

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