For Roger and Cindy Schaus, commitment to community has come in many forms over the years.
The two have each individually served on boards and committees of area nonprofits. As a couple, they serve meals at a food program through their church. Roger has even served as Santa at places like Meta House and Notre Dame School of Milwaukee during the holidays.
The one constant? The direct contact and interaction they have with beneficiaries of their generosity. It’s what fuels the Schauses and their philanthropy.
The couple is the 2025 recipient of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s William C Frye Award. For the past 71 years, the award has honored individuals who have contributed their time, efforts or talents to make Milwaukee a better community.
“We’ve enjoyed immensely the work we’ve done in the community,” said Roger, who retired from Generac Power Systems in 2013 as senior vice president with 25 years of experience in manufacturing and service. “It’s fun to be a part of some of these things when you see them coming together and happening. It’s gratifying to know that even in some small way, you can affect some change here and see something happen.”
Both are lifelong advocates for individuals with special needs and each started volunteering as teenagers. Roger helped teach young adults with disabilities how to swim through the Youth Association for Retarded Citizens’ Saturday morning recreation program. Cindy’s introduction and inspiration for philanthropy started right at home in her living room, which is where her mother and father in 1949 helped form what is now known as Life Navigators.
“It was really formed to support parents,” said Cindy, who had three siblings with Down Syndrome, one of whom passed away before she was born. At that time, very few community-based services existed for people with intellectual disabilities, and no public education was required for them.
“Put them away and forget about them was the mentality at that time,” she said. “There have been huge changes in our society since those early days.”
Through their time, talent, treasure and ties, both Roger and Cindy have helped to support those changes. Cindy spent 25 years as a special education teacher in Franklin Public Schools before retiring in 2012. She also served on the board of Life Navigators for more than 15 years. The couple provided the lead gift for the nonprofit’s capital campaign, which allowed it to complete a building addition in 2017 that enabled it to serve an additional 850 children and adults with disabilities. In 2023, the couple created an agency endowment fund for the organization to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Roger served on the board of Easter Seals during a pivotal time in its history where it merged with several organizations. He now serves on its finance committee.
While their main focus is on helping organizations that serve people with disabilities, the couple is also passionate about education and addressing food insecurity. They have supported Notre Dame School, where Cindy once served on its education committee. They created a scholarship fund that provides scholarships annually to students attending University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education who intend to teach in Wisconsin in the field of special education. Cindy earned her bachelor’s degree in education in behavioral disabilities and spent 10 years as a member of the School of Education’s Board of Visitors, an external advisory board to the dean.
Their service to community has built up over time, particularly since their retirement, both through volunteering and philanthropic support.
“As soon as you get involved, even at a very minimal level, you understand the impact that you can make on the community and it encourages you to do more,” said Cindy.
For the past several years, Roger has served on the Foundation’s Impact Investment Committee, where he’s helped guide the Foundation’s strategies to promote economic equity and opportunity. Through his woodworking hobby, he has created items for their church and for nonprofit fundraisers.
The couple has encouraged that spirit of philanthropy with other family members. They have a donor advised fund at the Foundation and each year, they give their three children, Kate, Ryan and Brittany, and their spouses the opportunity to designate a grant from the fund to a nonprofit of their choice.
“It’s an opportunity for them to think about where they might want to lend their support,” Cindy said.