Milwaukee, Wis., June 29, 2015 – The Greater Milwaukee Foundation and its donors contributed more than $5.4 million in support to local nonprofits and other charitable causes in the first quarter of 2015. Nearly 43 percent of these funds supported health and human services programs, while a broad range of community priorities are additionally represented across total Foundation grantmaking for the quarter:

  • Health and human services: $2,333,000
  • Arts & culture: $1,008,000
  • Education: $901,000
  • Other: $342,000 (e.g. religious institutions, disaster relief, world peace, public affairs) 
  • Child/Youth/Family: $249,000
  • Community development: $245,000
  • Environment: $239,000
  • Employment & training: $132,000

“While their interests are varied, donors of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation are often motivated to improve life outcomes for people in our community,” said Ellen M. Gilligan, President and CEO of the Foundation. “Whether donors choose specific causes to support or provide the Foundation with nimble resources to address the needs of our time, they can count on us to be a steadfast partner with 100 years’ experience in helping our community thrive.”

These investments in the community come from two primary sources at the Foundation:

Donor recommended grants

Advised funds and other forms of donor recommended giving account for nearly $4,296,000 of the Foundation’s first quarter grants in 2015. These grants are awarded to a specific agency at the recommendation of a donor or a fund adviser.

Board directed grants

Through the years, many donors have contributed to a source of flexible funding at the Foundation. From these discretionary funds, the Foundation’s Board directed the allocation of more than $1,152,000 in the first quarter of 2015. The Foundation uses a competitive grantmaking process to address emerging needs, issues of persistent concern and opportunities for strengthening the community as a whole.

The majority of the Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking resources are focused on key issues integral to the long-term success of the region. In partnership with community stakeholders, the Foundation seeks to improve educational outcomes for every child in every school, from cradle to career; increase the livability, affordability and safety of neighborhoods; reduce poverty, improve the economic vitality of the region and strengthen families; and enhance relationships among diverse populations and create opportunities for all people to more fully participate in civic life.

To view recent discretionary grant recipients and descriptions of their projects, visit the Foundation’s Recent Grants web page.

In addition, the Foundation committed approximately $4,000 to its Basic Needs Fund in the first quarter.

About the Greater Milwaukee Foundation

For a century, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has helped individuals, families and organizations realize their philanthropic goals and make a difference in the community, during their lifetimes and for future generations. The Foundation consists of more than 1,200 individual charitable funds, each created by donors to serve the charitable causes of their choice. The Foundation also deploys both human and financial resources to address the most critical needs of the community and ensure the vitality of the region. Established in 1915, the Foundation was one of the first community foundations in the world. Ending 2014 with more than $841 million in assets, it is also among the largest.

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