Greater Milwaukee Foundation: Record $60 million in grants issued from found in 2016

Milwaukee, Wis. – For the second consecutive year, community organizations and programs received a historic level of funding from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. In 2016, the Foundation and its philanthropic donors provided more than $60 million in grants, early results show.

Helping make this generosity possible, Foundation donors expanded their philanthropy by contributing more than $43 million to Foundation funds in 2016.

What the funding supported

Grant funding benefited the community in a number of comprehensive areas.
Community development: $21.46 million
Education: $8.27 million
Human services: $6.46 million
Health: $6.39 million
Arts & culture: $5.46 million
Environment: $4.27 million
Child/Youth/Family: $2.47 million
Employment & training: $1.62 million
Other: $3.72 million

Nearly 13 percent of grant funding in 2016 was directed by the Foundation’s board while more than 87 percent was issued through donor advised funds and other donor recommended mechanisms.

“Looking back at 2016, our community’s generosity is on full display,” said Ellen M. Gilligan, president and CEO of the Foundation. “While their specific interests vary, all of our donors want to make this region a better place to live, and together, we are supporting the strategies and strengthening the organizations most effective at moving the needle on our community’s urgent issues and opportunities.”