Zilber Family Foundation Awards Nearly $3 Million in Grants to Milwaukee Nonprofits

MILWAUKEE – The Zilber Family Foundation announced its Board of Directors approved nearly $3 million in grants to 18 nonprofit organizations throughout Milwaukee. These grants strategically align with the Foundation’s core focus areas, encompassing affordable housing, community economic development, basic human needs and capacity building.

“The Zilber Family Foundation understands that true progress comes through collaboration,” said Gina Stilp, Executive Director of the Zilber Family Foundation. “We are energized by the innovative and meaningful work of our grantee partners. Their dedication to increasing access to social and economic opportunity is critical to building a thriving Milwaukee for all.”

This round of grants prioritizes increasing access to affordable housing, recognizing the crucial role of housing in fostering economic mobility, health and overall well-being for all Milwaukee residents. Throughout its three grant cycles in April, August and December 2023, Zilber Family Foundation contributed approximately $3.7 million to organizations providing affordable housing solutions in the Milwaukee area.

“Communities thrive when everyone has a safe place to call home,” said Stilp. “By investing in affordable housing, the Zilber Family Foundation is not just addressing individual needs; we’re investing in the collective well-being of Milwaukee. Stable housing fosters stronger neighborhoods, improves public health outcomes and creates a more vibrant and inclusive city for all.”

Community Advocates, Metro Milwaukee Mediation Services (Mediate Milwaukee), and Revitalize Milwaukee are three organizations focused on creating a more equitable housing landscape that received grant funding from Zilber Family Foundation.

“Community Advocates is extremely grateful to the Zilber Family Foundation for their invaluable support. Through their generosity, we will be able to improve access to high-quality, affordable, and stable housing for individuals and families through permanent supportive housing, safe haven housing, and homelessness prevention for families as a part of our Housing Operations Advancement Project,” said Andi Elliott, CEO of Community Advocates.

Community Advocates

Community Advocates is a Milwaukee-based non-profit organization dedicated to empowering residents and building stronger neighborhoods. The organization tackles critical issues like housing insecurity, domestic violence and economic inequality through a multi-pronged approach.

Funding from the Zilber Family Foundation will support programming to increase access to safe, affordable and quality rental housing in ZNI neighborhoods and initiatives to curb homelessness and find permanent housing.

Metro Milwaukee Mediation Services (Mediate Milwaukee)

Metro Milwaukee Mediation Services, Inc. (Mediate Milwaukee) promotes sustainable housing by offering mediation, a fair and neutral process where parties benefit from assistance of a trained mediator to resolve housing-related eviction or foreclosure disputes. Mediate Milwaukee’s eviction prevention services help tenants and landlords work through disagreements to find an effective solution for all parties involved.

Funding from the Zilber Family Foundation will support housing mediation services to prevent evictions and foreclosures in ZNI and other Milwaukee neighborhoods.

Revitalize Milwaukee

Revitalize Milwaukee is a nonprofit that empowers families by providing free home repairs throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. The organization is the largest free home repair provider in Southeast Wisconsin, keeping individuals and families in their homes and stabilizing neighborhoods.

Funding from the Zilber Family Foundation will support a matching grant program in the Clarke Square neighborhood and will provide free home repairs for low-income homeowners in ZNI neighborhoods.

Additional December 2023 grant recipients include:

• Cesar Chavez BID 38: To improve the Chavez Drive commercial corridor in Clarke Square.
• Cross Lutheran Church: To support basic human needs and mental health programs in Lindsay Heights.
• Friedens Food Pantry: To support the Friedens Food Pantries throughout the city of Milwaukee.
• Housing Resources, Inc.: To support staff and consulting services to help low-to-moderate income minority households prepare for successful homeownership.
• JobsWork MKE: To support personal financial management and job readiness training.
• Latino Entrepreneurial Network Incorporated: To support personal financial management and small business training, coaching and economic development activities in the Clarke Square and Layton Boulevard West neighborhoods.
• LeadersTrust: To partner with three ZFF grantees to begin implementation of organizational strengthening priorities.
• Legal Action of Wisconsin: To support free housing-related legal services for residents in ZNI and other Milwaukee neighborhoods.
• Lindsay Heights NID 12: To support home repairs for homeowners in Lindsay Heights.
• LISC Milwaukee: To support homeownership and small business development opportunities in ZNI and other Milwaukee neighborhoods.
• Street Angels: To support mobile outreach efforts that assist homeless individuals in Milwaukee.
• VIA CDC: To support home improvement matching grants that provide direct assistance to homeowners for repairs in the Layton Boulevard West neighborhoods.
• Village MKE: To support a leadership development fellowship program for Black executives leading organizations that support Black individuals in Milwaukee.
• Wisconsin Preservation Fund: A program related investment to provide loan capital for the emerging developers revolving loan fund.

A complete list of Zilber Family Foundation 2023 grant recipients is available on the Foundation website.

About the Zilber Family Foundation:

Formed in 1961 by Joseph J. Zilber, a philanthropist and businessman, the Zilber Family Foundation is a private independent grantmaking institution dedicated to enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods by supporting nonprofits to address basic needs and personal safety, increase access to social and economic opportunity, and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. For more information, please visit: www.zilberfamilyfoundation.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.