About Employ Milwaukee
To build a strong workforce development system by planning, coordinating, collaborating and monitoring workforce initiatives with businesses, partners and community stakeholders at the local, regional and state level to ensure a skilled and productive workforce for the 21st Century.
Focus Areas
workforce developmentyouth employment (Earn & Learn)reentry and justice-involved employmenttraining and certification (BankWork$, MEND, MediWork$)employer services and talent sourcingopioid recovery workforce program (FORWD)
Who They Fund
youth (WIA youth participants)adults (WIA adult participants)dislocated workersresidents/households affected by lead exposure
Funding Style
About Employ Milwaukee
Employ Milwaukee Inc’s recent grantmaking is anchored in publicly administered workforce programs that move money to contractors and service providers for youth, adults, and dislocated workers in Milwaukee County. One of the largest awards in the record went to Dynamic Workforce Solutions for Workforce Investment Act youth activities, a sign that the funder uses substantial grants to underwrite direct service delivery rather than one-off sponsorships. The pattern also includes recurring support for organizations that provide adult job placement, career services, and training infrastructure, alongside separate public-health-linked workforce work tied to lead abatement and opioid recovery. The foundation’s portfolio shows a strong preference for program-restricted grants connected to specific workforce systems. Social Development Commission appears in the record for both adult workforce activity and lead abatement-related work, while Equus Workforce Solutions received multiple awards for adult and dislocated worker activities. Youth-serving organizations such as United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee Inc, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Inc, and Milwaukee Water Works also appear with sizeable awards under youth activities. Together, these grants show a funder that finances workforce delivery through partner organizations operating in Milwaukee-area systems.
What Employ Milwaukee Funds
Youth employment is a clear theme in Employ Milwaukee Inc’s giving. United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee Inc received $525,025 in 2025 for Workforce Investment Act youth activities, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Inc received $443,181 in 2024 for the same purpose. Adult and dislocated worker services are another major lane. Equus Workforce Solutions received $604,568 in 2025 for Workforce Investment Act adult and dislocated worker activities, while Center for Self-sufficiency Inc received $466,874 in 2024 for Workforce Investment Act adult activities. The foundation also supports lead abatement and environmental health work through the workforce system. Social Development Commission received $756,461 in 2024 for ARPA - Lead Abatement - Adult and Workforce Investment Act Adult Activities, and later received $631,553 in 2025 for the same combined purpose. Its portfolio extends into employer-facing training and sector pathways, including awards for workforce investment act youth activities at Milwaukee Water Works and to Matc Foundation for youth activities.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.6M
Total Assets
$3.4M
Total Revenue
$16.1M
Total Expenses
$15.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $61K and $443K, with a median of $181K.
25th Percentile
$61K
Median
$181K
75th Percentile
$443K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JULIE CAYO
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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