MANDI People's Choice Award Voting
Winners receive $1,000 and the Wells Fargo People's Choice Award at the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation on August 13th. Click on any of the nominees to learn more via profiles written by LISC.
MANDI Awards 2026
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Hephatha Strong Baby Sanctuary
confronts Milwaukee's high infant mortality and lead poisoning rates by supporting pregnant families and families with young children. Through twice-monthly sessions, we provide basic needs, educational/awareness lessons, peer support, nursing attention, health tools, and community resources that help families protect children's health, safety, and future.
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Riverworks Financial Clinic Life & Legacy Planning Workshop Series
Created in response to community need, Riverworks Financial Clinic's Life & Legacy Planning Workshop Series empowers Milwaukee residents to protect their families, preserve generational wealth, and prevent displacement through free legal education and estate planning. In partnership with Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, participants complete legal documents while building financial security.
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Ten Mile Park
is a vibrant community destination along the Oak Leaf Trail, offering nature play, a multi-use court, pickleball courts, pump track, and public restrooms. Serving as a hub for neighbors and trail users, the park provides spaces to play, gather, connect, and support the social and physical health of all.
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Cactus Plus Accessibility Initiative
Founded in 2022, Cactus Plus is the arts education nonprofit of Cactus Club. This artist-run org believes in the transformative power of accessible intergenerational learning, harm reduction, mutual aid, playfulness and the arts. After 6 years of immense community efforts, our 140-year-old building has a ramp to the front door!
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Early Childhood Educators Homeownership Initiative-Developer Group
The Developer Group—VIA CDC, Envision Growth, Milwaukee Community Crossroads, and Rooted & Rising—partnered with a network of organizations to develop 42 new affordable homes across nine Milwaukee neighborhoods, creating a pathway to homeownership for early childhood educators while strengthening neighborhoods and expanding housing opportunities for working families.
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LaNelle Ramey
is the Executive Director of MENTOR Greater Milwaukee with 30+ years of nonprofit leadership advancing youth development, mentoring, and community impact. A co-founder of the MPS Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement, he serves on several community boards and is committed to quality mentoring opportunities across Greater Milwaukee.
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It Takes A Village Foundation Re-Entry, Inc.
empowers justice-impacted individuals through comprehensive reentry services, workforce development, and employment support. With more than 3,800 program graduates, the organization equips participants with certifications, job readiness skills, mentorship, and career opportunities, reducing recidivism while strengthening families, businesses, and communities across Wisconsin.
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Maudwella Kirkendoll
serves as Chief Operating Officer at Community Advocates, where he plays a pivotal role in providing life-changing services that mean the difference between homelessness and stable housing, trauma and healing, and family fragmentation and unity. Raised in Milwaukee's 53206 neighborhood, Maudwella leads with authenticity, empathy, and purpose.
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Homes MKE Initiative
is a City of Milwaukee initiative that is renovating vacant City-owned houses into quality affordable homeownership and rent-to-own opportunities for Milwaukee families. To date, 75 new homeowners and their over 200 family members are now able to build community and equity in their neighborhoods because of Homes MKE.
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Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, Healthcare Navigation
improves health outcomes in Southeast Asian and Hispanic communities through education, cancer and chronic disease screenings and follow-up support. In 2025, our four multilingual community health workers served 812 Burmese, Karen, Karenni, Laotian, Hmong, and Latinx clients through 3,451 interactions, delivering education, navigation, interpretation and social service referrals.
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Standard of Excellence Education & Training Center
has been transforming lives and strengthening Wisconsin's healthcare workforce since 2013. Through an innovative hybrid learning model, we have trained more than 4,000 healthcare professionals while maintaining a 98% completion rate, preparing working adults, veterans, and parents for careers as Certified Nursing Assistants, Medical Assistants, and Phlebotomists.
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T.A.S. Solutions, LLC
is a family-owned and operated real estate company proudly serving Southeastern WI. Guided by our belief to Think, Aspire and Succeed, we are committed to helping individuals and families achieve their real estate goals through homeownership and quality rental housing. We believe that every family deserves a place to call home, and we are passionate about building stronger communities, one home at a time.
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United Community Center
For more than 56 years, United Community Center has helped Milwaukee families thrive. Through education, housing, health, and human services, UCC empowers our community to reach their fullest potential while creating stronger neighborhoods and expanding opportunities that make our entire neighborhood healthier, safer, and more prosperous.
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Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
For 110 years, the Legal Aid Society has provided equal access to legal representation to advance a more just Milwaukee. Our services have aided countless households in moving beyond poverty and made this city more equitable for all of its residents. Here's to the next 100 years!
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