Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee

Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee Our mission is to mobilize philanthropy and foster unity for gender equity.

We work to improve the world for women and girls through two primary channels
• Grantmaking programs, which provide the backing for social change initiatives.
• Capacity Building programs, which build the social change capacity in our community.

AJR 102 is a proposed constitutional amendment that could change how elections work in Wisconsin. With November 3 less t...
10/13/2026

AJR 102 is a proposed constitutional amendment that could change how elections work in Wisconsin. With November 3 less than two weeks away, it’s worth understanding.

On October 22 we're hosting WF Civic Break featuring Joan Schwarz of the League of Women Voters - Milwaukee County for a nonpartisan briefing on what AJR 102 is, what it would change, and what Wisconsin voters need to know.

Free. Virtual. 30 minutes. https://womensfundmke.org/event/civic-break-league/

This year, our WF Presents partners have named Amplifiers... people who make a voice or good work impossible to ignore. ...
10/12/2026

This year, our WF Presents partners have named Amplifiers... people who make a voice or good work impossible to ignore.

They’re the people who recognize the worth of something and then turn conviction into collective momentum by advocating for others until quiet ideas become a powerful chorus. Together they build a culture and community we admire and desire.

Our 2026 Amplifiers are:

Laura Bray, named by Kane Communications Group
Kelly Grebe, named by Quarles & Brady LLP
Chenoa James, named by speak. write. coach.
Dr. Susan Kerns, named by Associated Bank
Tere Sackerson, named by BMO U.S.
Ashley A. Smith, named by Michael Best
Lorna Young, named by Pamela Klein

Join us November 18 at The Pfister Hotel as we celebrate them and hear from keynote speaker Dr. Meredith Broussard on AI, equity, and the systems shaping our everyday lives.

Reserve your seat >> womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai

Last month’s WF Laundry Night at Milwaukee Cheese Bar reminded us why we keep coming back. The conversation went deep......
10/08/2026

Last month’s WF Laundry Night at Milwaukee Cheese Bar reminded us why we keep coming back.

The conversation went deep... and real.

◼️ We talked about how our attitudes toward work and family shift as we move through life, sharing experiences and sitting with the question of why those changes happen when they do.
◼️ We also spent time on something that hits close to home for a lot of women: learning to own and articulate our professional stories.

As women who often bring a wide range of experiences to the table, honing the way we tell our stories can open doors we didn’t even know were available to us.

Thank you to host WF board director Alexandria Staubach and Milwaukee Cheese Bar by Hill Valley Dairy LLC for the perfect setting.

Next up: October 26 at Thirst Books, hosted by WF community member Gudrun Howard. Free and open to all >> https://womensfundmke.org/event/laundry-night-october-2026

In 1843, Ada Lovelace developed the first computer algorithm, making her the world's first computer programmer. Nearly ...
10/07/2026

In 1843, Ada Lovelace developed the first computer algorithm, making her the world's first computer programmer. Nearly two centuries later the technology born from that work is woven into almost every part of our lives.

This year's 1843 Partners carry that legacy forward by investing in the conversations our community needs about where this technology is headed... and who it's working for. We thank them for their support.

Join us November 18 at WF Presents 2026 for a keynote with Dr. Meredith Broussard on AI, equity, and its impact on everyday life.

Learn more and RSVP >> womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai

What would you put in a basket to start a conversation?For the FILM FÊTE 2026 silent auction, a Milwaukee Film fundraise...
10/05/2026

What would you put in a basket to start a conversation?

For the FILM FÊTE 2026 silent auction, a Milwaukee Film fundraiser, we curated the Women's Fund Imagine the Possibilities Gift Pack (Lot #224) to create conversations, shift attitudes, and change perspectives. It holds three books and three conversations:

"More Than a Glitch" by Dr. Meredith Broussard. We don't hear enough conversations about ethics and equity in AI, so we invited an expert. Dr. Broussard is our WF Presents 2026 keynote speaker on Nov. 18, and registrants will receive her book at the program.
https://womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai/

"An Unexpected Life" by Gloria Steinem, her final memoir. It follows a childhood that taught her what poverty costs, an undercover assignment that became a defining exposé, and years in India that reshaped how she thought about organizing. Join us Nov. 12 for our free community book read, hosted by WF board director Pamela Klein, with ch*****ne and cake to follow. womensfundmke.org/event/unexpected

"The Inclusive Language Field Guide" by Dr. Suzanne Wertheim, the book we gave attendees at WF Presents 2023. Her keynote showed how the words we choose shape how we see ourselves and each other, and attendees left with six simple tips for using inclusive language. womensfundmke.org/history-of-annual-events

Check out Lot #224 and place a bid before time runs out at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 >> https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/sf-0013c00001peuKoAAI/events/vevt:aa7c17da-f5dc-4fa0-8c7d-adc3b957dbef/auctions/silent-auction

By the 2000s, more women were working, leading, and shaping public life. But visibility didn't mean equity; women were s...
10/01/2026

By the 2000s, more women were working, leading, and shaping public life. But visibility didn't mean equity; women were still underrepresented in boardrooms, government, and the places where decisions were being made.

This was the decade we leaned into data. We co-published the groundbreaking Status of Women in Wisconsin Report (the state earned a C+), because the numbers helped show what many women already knew from lived experience: opportunity wasn't reaching everyone the same way.

It was also the decade we became an independent entity, opening an office in the Historic Third Ward... where we still are today. We launched Latina and Le***an Giving Circles with matching grants from the Kellogg Foundation, funded work in criminal justice, substance abuse treatment, and girls' leadership, and backed grassroots organizing for economic justice, paid sick leave, and violence prevention.

It was a decade about believing early, before the proof is obvious to everyone else.

Explore all four decades of our history >> womensfundmke.org/decades

Ownership rarely happens alone. Behind most businesses are a network of people: a broker who knows what's available, a l...
09/30/2026

Ownership rarely happens alone. Behind most businesses are a network of people: a broker who knows what's available, a lender who understands the deal, a CPA who reads the numbers, and an owner who has been there before.

We know those relationships can be the hardest to build.

On Saturday, October 3, we're partnering with Chicago Booth: Milwaukee Alumni to bring that network into one room. You'll spend the afternoon with M&A advisors, lenders, CPAs, attorneys, and business owners, along with others in our community who are exploring ways to build wealth through business ownership too.

The day opens with networking and closes with a reception, so there's time for real conversation.

We hope you'll join us >> womensfundmke.org/event/business-ownership

Laundry Night is tonight. Join us. We have a lot to talk about...
09/29/2026

Laundry Night is tonight. Join us. We have a lot to talk about...

Ask an AI chatbot for help writing a work email. Use the word "maybe." Say "I think" or "we." Sign it with your name.Now...
09/28/2026

Ask an AI chatbot for help writing a work email. Use the word "maybe." Say "I think" or "we." Sign it with your name.

Now ask the same thing without the hedges.

Johns Hopkins researchers found that four major AI models gave back less formal, less sophisticated responses when the prompt used language patterns more commonly associated with women. Not because of the name attached... because of how it was asked.

The bias is baked into how these tools read us. And most of us have no idea it's happening.

This is the kind of thing we're digging into at WF Presents 2026. Dr. Meredith Broussard, data journalist, NYU researcher, and author of "More Than a Glitch," is joining us on November 18 to talk about the systems we use every day, and what's really going on inside them.

Reservations are open. Early bird pricing ends October 1 >> https://womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai

Say today's date out loud: 9/25. Nine to five.When 9 to 5 hit theaters in 1980, audiences came for Jane Fonda, Lily Toml...
09/25/2026

Say today's date out loud: 9/25. Nine to five.

When 9 to 5 hit theaters in 1980, audiences came for Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton. They left having experienced a story about unequal pay, workplace harassment, and bosses taking credit for women's work.

The film also pictured changes that seemed bold at the time: flexible hours, job sharing, and childcare at work.

The story came from real organizing. It was inspired by 9to5, National Association of Working Women, a group of women office workers founded in Boston in 1973. Milwaukee office workers started a local chapter in 1982 9to5 Wisconsin, and today 9to5's national headquarters is here.

Who in your life clocked in so you could have more options? Tell us about her in the comments.

Address

316 N Milwaukee Street, Ste 215
Milwaukee, WI
53202

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share