Funding search · EIN 390806190 · Milwaukee, WI

United Way of Greater Milwaukee &

Name: United Way of Greater Milwaukee & grants, 2021–2024
Creator: PaperOrbit
License: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

A grantmaking public charity (files IRS Form 990, Schedule I). Charities like this often run real grant programs with application cycles.

2,302
grants reported: $181.7M
total given: 2021–2024
filing years: $32,825
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 2021–2024. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

designations building capacity safe health employment homes stable

Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is built Report an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Where the money goes

Donor-designated pass-through gifts to Milwaukee-area nonprofits
Family homelessness, shelter, eviction prevention and right to counsel
Health care access through Milwaukee Health Care Partnership and clinics
Early childhood education, youth development, out-of-school programs
Financial stability: employment, VITA, financial wellness counseling
Counseling and mental health services for children and families

Typical grant

Median grant is about $33,000, with the middle half between roughly $12,500 and $76,000. The seven-figure checks are donor designations passed through to large institutions like UW Foundation and Children's Wisconsin, plus the Legal Aid Society right to counsel work; program grants to service agencies usually land between $100,000 and $500,000. Giving repeats heavily year over year, with the same agencies (Boys & Girls Clubs, COA, Pathfinders, Community Advocates, Aurora Family Service) appearing across multiple lines and multiple years.

Their words

Phrases from their own grant descriptions, worth speaking back to them.

“DONOR DESIGNATIONS”
“SAFE AND STABLE HOMES”
“FAMILY HOMELESSNESS”
“MILWAUKEE HEALTH CARE PARTNERSHIP”
“EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION”

Positioning adjacent work

Tie adjacent work to an existing line item name like Safe and Stable Homes or Family Homelessness.
Ask in the $100,000 to $300,000 range for a named program, not a general operating request.
Emphasize direct service delivery to Milwaukee County residents, with case management and measurable household outcomes.
Partner with a repeat grantee rather than competing; they fund the same agencies for multiple distinct programs.

Worth knowing: This is overwhelmingly a Milwaukee and Waukesha County funder, and the out-of-state grants to Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio are almost entirely donor designations routed to other United Ways, not independent grantmaking. A relatively small set of established human services agencies takes most of the discretionary dollars, and several receive three or four separate program grants in the same year, which signals long relationships over open competition.

77 grants matching “employment” · $6.0M

$126,110
Milwaukee Urban League · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Employment assistance/employment forward
$100,000
Legal Action of Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$100,000
Benedict Center the · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$100,000
Goodwill Industries Se Wi and Metro Chi · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$100,000
Wisconsin Community Services · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$80,000
Project Return · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Literacy Services of Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
My Way Out · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Mobilise · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Wrtpbig Step · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Employ Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$65,000
Milwaukee Community Service Corps · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$61,096
Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin · West Allis, WI · 2024
Supported employment
$55,000
Next Door Foundation · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin · West Allis, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Jobswork Mke · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Forward Careers · Waukesha, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Matc Foundation · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$40,755
Gps Education Partners · Waukesha, WI · 2024
Pathways to employability
$10,000
Dominican Center for Women · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Reducing barriers to employment
$7,681
Portal · Grafton, WI · 2024
Employment readiness and advancement
$432,773
Milwaukee Urban League · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,mul employment assistance/employment forward,community schools
$419,385
Wisconsin Community Services · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Driver's license recovery,healthy youth initiative,youth enhanced support ,community reintegration services,criminal justice recovery services,reducing barriers to employment
$278,560
Next Door Foundation · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Early childhood education,donor designations,reducing barriers to employment
$275,000
Legal Action of Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment,family homelessness
$160,029
Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin · West Allis, WI · 2023
Donor designations,childbirth and infant preparation services (sbhf),case management (sbhf),supported employment
$150,000
Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin · Madison, WI · 2023
School housing case managers,reducing barriers to employment,safe & stable homes
$136,554
Independencefirst · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Attendant referral program,youth leadership program,donor designations,reducing barriers to employment
$115,000
Employ Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,reducing barriers to employment
$108,000
My Way Out · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Safe & stable homes,reducing barriers to employment
$100,000
Art Start · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment
$97,500
Fathers Making Progress · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Father's employment & resource cntr,capacity building
$94,475
Kinship Community Food Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,reducing barriers to employment
$88,098
Grand Avenue Club · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Grand avenue club,donor designations,reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Project Return · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Greater Milwaukee Committee for Community Development · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Milwaukee Community Service Corps · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Metrogo · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Heartlove Place · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment
$50,000
Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin · West Allis, WI · 2023
Reducing barriers to employment
$47,389
Gps Education Partners · Waukesha, WI · 2023
Pathways to employability
$46,646
Wrtpbig Step · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,reducing barriers to employment
$17,502
New Concept Self Development Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Fathers' resource & employment center
$13,085
Portal · Grafton, WI · 2023
Donor designations,employment readiness and advancement
$100,000
African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$94,847
Milwaukee Urban League · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Mul employment assistance
$88,802
Easterseals Southeastern Wisconsin · West Allis, WI · 2022
Supported employment
$75,000
Literacy Services of Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$55,752
Gps Education Partners · Waukesha, WI · 2022
Pathways to employability
$50,000
Legal Action of Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
Metrogo · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
Milwaukee Community Business · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
Milwaukee Community Service Corps · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
Wisconsin Community Services · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
Heartlove Place · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
Independencefirst · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
Jobswork Mke · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$50,000
La Casa De Esperanza · Waukesha, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$43,644
New Concept Self Development Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Fathers' resource & employment center
$25,000
Urban Learning Collaborative · West Allis, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$15,041
Women'S Center Inc the · Waukesha, WI · 2022
Employment
$10,000
Prism Economic Development Corporation · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Reducing barriers to employment & advancement
$7,681
Portal · Grafton, WI · 2022
Employment readiness and advancement
$94,847
Milwaukee Urban League · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Mul employment assistance
$88,802
Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin · West Allis, WI · 2021
Supported employment
$80,000
Employ Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Wrtpbig Step · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$75,000
Mindful Group · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$65,000
Independencefirst · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$55,752
Gps Education Partners · Waukesha, WI · 2021
Pathways to employability
$43,644
New Concept Self Development Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Fathers' resource & employment center
$40,000
Literacy Services of Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$30,083
Women'S Center the · Waukesha, WI · 2021
Employment
$25,000
Bublr Bikes - Rebea Workforce Dev · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$10,000
Metrogo · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$10,000
Milwaukee Community Business Collaborative · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Reducing barriers to employment
$7,681
Portal · Grafton, WI · 2021
Employment readiness and advancement

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee17 grants · $7.6M
University of Wisconsin - Foundation4 grants · $6.4M
Impact13 grants · $6.0M
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee11 grants · $5.6M
Children'S Wisconsin12 grants · $4.8M
Medical College of Wisconsin5 grants · $4.2M
Community Advocates30 grants · $3.8M
Milwaukee Health Care Partnership9 grants · $3.0M
St Augustine Preparatory Academy4 grants · $2.8M
Pathfinders21 grants · $2.6M

Giving over time

$43.7M

2021

$49.5M

2022

$46.0M

2023

$42.5M

2024

Grant history

The 100 largest of 2,302 grants.

$2.3M
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,early literacy program,sponsor-a-scholar ,centralized services,community schools
$2.2M
University of Wisconsin - Foundation · Madison, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$2.1M
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Right to counsel
$2.0M
University of Wisconsin - Foundation · Madison, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$1.9M
Impact · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Impact 2-1-1,donor designations,family flex fund,family homelessness
$1.8M
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,civil division,family homelessness,right to counsel
$1.5M
University of Wisconsin - Foundation · Madison, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$1.4M
St Augustine Preparatory Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$1.3M
Children'S Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,milw healthcare partnership,milwaukee start right,counseling for children and families
$1.3M
Medical College of Wisconsin · Wauwatosa, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$1.3M
Waukesha County Community Foundation · Waukesha, WI · 2021
Waukesha parade
$1.2M
Medical College of Wisconsin · Wauwatosa, WI · 2023
Donor designations,milw healthcare partnership
$1.2M
Milwaukee Jewish Federation · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$1.1M
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Right to counsel program
$1.1M
Medical College of Wisconsin · Wauwatosa, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$1.1M
Children'S Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$1.0M
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$1.0M
Community Advocates · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Homeless outreach nursing center,emergency support/advocacy continuum,family support center ,donor designations,school housing case managers,rental housing resource center,school housing case managers,family homelessnes… read allHomeless outreach nursing center,emergency support/advocacy continuum,family support center ,donor designations,school housing case managers,rental housing resource center,school housing case managers,family homelessness,techquity,state shelter subsidy grant,state shelter subsidy grant less
$1.0M
Journey21 · Waukesha, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$1.0M
Impact · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Family flex fund
$926,934
Milwaukee Health Care Partnership · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Milwaukee health care partnership
$920,235
Children'S Wisconsin · Wauwatosa, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$902,956
Children'S Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$861,043
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
School achievement
$817,991
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Centralized services
$817,698
Impact · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Impact 2-1-1
$817,698
Impact · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Impact 2-1-1
$815,500
Milwaukee Health Care Partnership · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Milwaukee health care partnership,milw healthcare partnership
$791,824
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$703,220
Impact · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Impact 2-1-1
$686,854
St Augustine Preparatory Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$657,890
University of Wisconsin - Foundation · Madison, WI · 2023
Donor designations
$622,349
Silver Spring Neighborhood Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Community food bank,youth social development,elaine schreiber child development center,donor designations,community schools
$620,907
Pathfinders · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,safe & stable homes,supported housing,prevention education program,clinical services,pathfinders youth shelter
$605,645
Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association · Madison, WI · 2022
Milwaukee healthcare partnership
$600,870
American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Disaster cycle services,donor designations
$596,287
American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Disaster cycle services
$596,287
American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Local disaster response
$587,676
Coa Youth & Family Centers · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,opportunities, chances, and decisions,early childhood education,hippy (home instruction for parents of preschool youth),youth development
$585,165
Hope House of Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Family homelessness
$581,618
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$572,289
Milwaukee Jewish Federation · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$572,240
Aurora Family Service · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Afs family therapy training institute,family enrichment,afs financial wellness
$551,491
Curative Care Network · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Children's services,donor designations
$532,598
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee · St Francis, WI · 2023
Supported parenting program - wauk. County,pregnancy and parenting support services,outreach & case management,in home support & hoarding intervention,community counseling,donor designations
$511,629
United Community Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Safe spaces: youth,safe spaces: older adults,academic achievement,preschool,donor designations
$504,659
Checota 2 for 1 Match Scholarship · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$500,000
Impact · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Sash family flex fund
$486,750
Dr Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$484,827
Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations
$480,443
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Centralized services
$478,143
Milwaukee Jewish Federation · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations
$463,337
American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Disaster cycle services
$462,728
Curative Care Network · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Children's services
$462,095
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Leadership & critical life skills development for girls
$462,095
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Leadership & critical life skills development for girls
$457,577
Penfield Children'S Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,behavioral health clinic,early intervention/parent program,lead safe home kit
$454,480
Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$436,774
St Augustine Preparatory Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations
$435,100
Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$432,773
Milwaukee Urban League · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,mul employment assistance/employment forward,community schools
$419,385
Wisconsin Community Services · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Driver's license recovery,healthy youth initiative,youth enhanced support ,community reintegration services,criminal justice recovery services,reducing barriers to employment
$412,829
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,leadership & critical life skills dev. For girls
$408,814
City Forward Collective · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$403,045
Froedtert Hospital Foundation · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$402,000
Promise Scholarship Fund · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$401,000
Milwaukee Health Care Partnership · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Milw healhcare partnership
$398,810
Curative Care Network · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Adult day services
$398,329
Milwaukee Health Services · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Milw healhcare partnership
$390,500
Community Advocates · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
School housing case managers
$388,776
Matc Foundation · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations
$381,678
Dr Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations,capacity building
$381,567
Sixteenth Street Community Health Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Milw healthcare partnership
$378,870
Curative Care Network · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Adult day services
$378,240
Dr Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$365,774
City Forward Collective · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Donor designations
$362,155
Aurora at Home · West Allis, WI · 2021
Aurora at home health
$352,119
City Forward Collective · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$350,500
Dr Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$350,000
Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association · Madison, WI · 2024
Milwaukee health care partnership
$350,000
Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association · Madison, WI · 2023
Milwaukee health care partnership
$350,000
Sixteenth Street Community Health Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Milwaukee healthcare partnership
$349,591
City Forward Collective · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$348,500
Milwaukee Health Care Partnership · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Milwaukee healthcare partnership
$348,257
La Casa De Esperanza · Waukesha, WI · 2023
Workforce development,early childhood education,school age education program,financial stability,donor designations,vita
$346,105
Penfield Children'S Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Early intervention/parent program
$344,047
Aurora at Home · West Allis, WI · 2022
Aurora at home health
$343,242
Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Donor designations
$342,987
Three Harbors Council Boy Scouts of America · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Learning for life
$341,760
St Augustine Preparatory Academy · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$339,571
Medical College of Wisconsin · Wauwatosa, WI · 2024
Donor designations
$337,792
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast · Milwaukee, WI · 2024
Leadership & critical life skills development for girls
$337,671
Creating Healthier Communities Local · Alexandria, VA · 2022
Donor designations
$328,800
Penfield Children'S Center · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Early intervention/parent program
$325,919
Aurora Family Service · Milwaukee, WI · 2022
Afs financial wellness
$325,919
Aurora Family Service · West Allis, WI · 2021
Afs financial wellness
$321,287
Next Door Foundation · Milwaukee, WI · 2021
Donor designations
$314,777
Creating Healthier Communities Local · Alexandria, VA · 2021
Donor designations
$311,038
Ymca of Metropolitan Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI · 2023
Day camp,early childhood education ,donor designations
$301,861
Nami Waukesha · Waukesha, WI · 2022
Waukesha recovery

View all 2,302 grants →

Grants already paid are the record; PaperOrbit reads your paper and finds the funders whose record matches it — then explains why.

Search funders like this one

Source: IRS Form 990, Schedule I, as filed by this organization. These are grants already paid. Grants paid directly to individuals are reported to the IRS only as totals, so they do not appear as named lines here.