Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation

About Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation

Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation Inc. stands out for a deep, long-running commitment to the UWM Zilber College of Public Health, including $3.5 million grants in both 2025 and 2026 through the UWM Foundation. That institutional pattern sits alongside a wider portfolio built around Milwaukee neighborhood stability, public health capacity, and family well-being. The foundation also funded The Bridge Project’s Milwaukee cash transfer work with seven-figure support, signaling interest in direct assistance as well as larger systems-building investments. Across its recent grants, the foundation backs organizations that work on housing, health, and community infrastructure, often through multi-year relationships. Milwaukee-based grantees appear repeatedly, but the portfolio is not limited to one sector: it reaches into homelessness prevention, substance abuse services, property improvement, small business support, and early childhood or youth-serving programs. A smaller set of grants also extends to Hawaii, including support for a birth center renovation and a campaign at Le Jardin Academy. The result is a place-based strategy with a strong institutional anchor and a clear emphasis on practical, community-level outcomes.

What Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation Funds

Public health is the clearest through line. In 2025 and 2026, the foundation gave $3.5 million each year to the UWM Foundation for the UWM Zilber College of Public Health, reinforcing higher education and workforce development in Milwaukee. It also made a $500,000 grant to UWM Foundation Inc. for the Vera Zilber Public Health Fund. Housing and neighborhood stability are another major theme. The foundation awarded $500,000 to ACTS Housing for acquisition funding and $500,000 to Community Development Alliance for down payment assistance, alongside $500,000 to Revitalize Milwaukee for a neighborhood roofing project. Health and supportive services appear in several forms. It gave $500,000 to Meta House for substance abuse and $800,000 to Visiting Nurse Association of Wisconsin Inc. for Aurora Zilber Family Hospice. Community development programming also shows up through $400,000 to Northwest Side Community Development Corporation for small business development.

How Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation Gives