Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc logo

Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc

MILWAUKEE, WI EIN: 39-6036407 Website

Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc. is a community foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, designated as a 501(c)(3) public charity. The organization has been tax-exempt since October 1942. It operates as a grantmaking foundation focused on philanthropy and voluntarism, serving the greater Milwaukee region and beyond.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.1B

+7.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$66.8M

+38.6% YoY

Grant Count

838

+7.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$80K

+29.2% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Foundation's grantmaking priorities include:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Human Services

The Foundation maintains a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.

Grantmaking

The Foundation offers multiple grant cycles and funding types:

Review Cycle

and funding types:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Wisconsin, with additional activity in California and Florida.

Grant Distribution by State

38states
+30 more states

Cities

ADDISONALBERT LEAALEXANDRIAALGOMAAMESAMHERSTANN ARBORANNARBORAPPLETONARLINGTONASHEVILLEASHLANDATHENSATLANTAAURORAAUSTINBALTIMOREBARABOOBAYSIDEBEAVERTON

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2023:

  • Total Assets: $1.01 billion
  • Annual Revenue: $78 million
  • Annual Expenses: $65.4 million
  • Total Liabilities: $10.2 million

Additional Financial Data:

  • Annual Income: $311 million
  • Annual Revenue (alternate reporting): $85.2 million
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$42M$83M$125M$167M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$1,079,014,557$1,005,749,724$894,352,035
Revenue$85,176,235$78,030,106$87,591,185
Expenses$85,506,672$65,430,598$89,876,571
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income$42,929,348$31,901,792$26,752,678
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$18M$37M$55M$74M740 grants20200 grants2021720 grants2022781 grants2023838 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AL…$4.6MSCHWAB CHARITABLE FUND$2.0MUWM FOUNDATION$1.8MTHE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF W…$1.5MAMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUND…$1.1MUNITED WAY OF GREATER MI…$1.0MWISPACT INC$987KCHILDREN'S WISCONSIN$967KHOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE…$960KUNITED COMMUNITY CENTER$915K

Grant Size Distribution

200 grants across all recorded years

70<$50K14$50–100K18$100–250K43$250–500K35$500K–1M18$1–5M2$5M+

Open Grants

17 open opportunities from Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc

Show all 17 →

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Jeremy Podolski — Director of Public Relations and Editorial Strategy

Sonia Robinson — Facilities Experience Manager

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

ELLEN GILLIGANPRESIDENT ( END 8/24)$281KVINCENT LYLESEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$227KGREGORY WESLEYPRESIDENT (START 8/24)$223KKRISTEN MEKEMSONVP DEV/PHIL SERVICES/SECRETARY$191KKEN ROBERTSONSECRETARY/TREASURER (END 8/24)$176KKENYATTA SINCLAIRCHIEF DEI & ORG LEARNING OFF…$157KMICHAEL HOFFMANVP OF HR$150KLAURA GLAWEVP MARKETING$141KKATHRYN DUNNVP OF COMM. INVEST. (END 8/24)$132KYELENA CHESTERCFO/TREASURER (START 8/24)$131KJANEL HINESVP OF COMMUNITY IMPACT$130K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
DAVE DRURYBOARD MEMBER (END 6/24)1
MARY ELLEN STANEKCHAIR1
PAUL JONESCHAIR (END 6/24)1
GREGORY OBERLANDVICE CHAIR1
CECELIA GOREBOARD MEMBER1
CORY NETTLESBOARD MEMBER (END 6/24)1
MARIE O'BRIENBOARD MEMBER (END 6/24)1
SUSAN ELABOARD MEMBER1
PEDRO COLONBOARD MEMBER1
THOMAS FLORSHEIMBOARD MEMBER1
DEREK TYUSBOARD MEMBER1
NARYAN LEAZERBOARD MEMBER1
CRISTY GARCIA-THOMASBOARD MEMBER1
BLAINE GIBSONBOARD MEMBER1
JAQUELINE WARDBOARD MEMBER1
DAVID GAYBOARD MEMBER (START 7/24)1
REBECA LOPEZBOARD MEMBER (START 7/24)1
DEREK MOSELYBOARD MEMBER (START 1/24)1
JIM SCHLEIFBOARD MEMBER (START 1/24)1
DEVONA WRIGHT-COTTRELBOARD MEMBER (START 7/24)1
GAIL YABUKIBOARD MEMBER (START 1/24)1
GREGORY WESLEYPRESIDENT (START 8/24)32$223,168
KEN ROBERTSONSECRETARY/TREASURER (END 8/24)32$176,226
ELLEN GILLIGANPRESIDENT ( END 8/24)32$280,968
KATHRYN DUNNVP OF COMM. INVEST. (END 8/24)32$132,105
KRISTEN MEKEMSONVP DEV/PHIL SERVICES/SECRETARY40$190,603
YELENA CHESTERCFO/TREASURER (START 8/24)32$130,942
LAURA GLAWEVP MARKETING40$140,699
MICHAEL HOFFMANVP OF HR40$149,799
VINCENT LYLESEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR40$227,063
KENYATTA SINCLAIRCHIEF DEI & ORG LEARNING OFFICER40$156,640
JANEL HINESVP OF COMMUNITY IMPACT40$130,423

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Foundation has demonstrated significant recent grantmaking activity:

Announced $28 million in latest grants to strengthen local communities

$28 million in latest grants to strengthen local communities ...

Partnered with Otto Bremer Trust to distribute $3 million in grants through the Community Responsive Fund, with the Trust selecting the Foundation again as a philanthropic partner

$28 million in latest grants to strengthen local communities ...

Celebrated 10 years of impact through its small grants program

Greater Milwaukee Foundation to distribute $3 million in grants through partnership

Contact Information

Mailing Address: 2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 4000 Milwaukee, WI 53212

Parking Structure: 320 W. Lloyd Street Milwaukee, WI 53212

Telephone: 414-272-5805

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact Departments:

Website: www.greatermilwaukeefoundation.org

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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