Collaborative Philanthropy in Action: More Than $570,000 Raised to Strengthen Milwaukee’s Lutheran Community

The gym at Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School was buzzing with energy on November 5, 2025, as more than 130 people gathered for Siebert Lutheran Foundation’s annual Collaborators’ Event. What unfolded over the next two hours was a vivid picture of generosity in motion. Attendees pledged more than $470,000 on the spot, bringing the total raised through this collaborative giving model to over $1.3 million since the event began in 2020.

With Siebert’s $100,000 match, more than $570,000 will be awarded this year to fifteen Milwaukee-area nonprofits, schools, and churches. These organizations are rooted in faith and committed to strengthening their neighborhoods, supporting families, and investing in the next generation.

This event adds meaningful resources on top of Siebert’s annual $4 million grantmaking budget and complements the ongoing work we support throughout the year. Since launching this model, the Foundation has gifted nearly $2 million through the Collaborators’ Event alone.

A Model Grounded in Community

The event’s auction-style format draws inspiration from a successful approach developed by the Arizona Community Foundation. Instead of bidding on items, attendees watched short video pitches from grantee partners and directed their giving in real time. Each time a ministry reached a $15,000 milestone, a bell rang, sparking cheers across the room and reminding everyone that they were part of something shared and purposeful.

Our Board Chair, Dr. Emily Van Dunk, described the evening as “a model for the future of philanthropy,” reflecting on the power of collective giving to strengthen Milwaukee’s Lutheran schools, churches, and nonprofits. President and CEO Charlotte John-Gómez echoed this, noting that the heart of the event lies in the belief that Milwaukee thrives when neighbors invest in one another.

Youth Leading the Way

This year’s event also elevated the voices of young people. Students from Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School, Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Hephatha Lutheran Church participated as youth grant makers. They evaluated pitches, made decisions, and experienced firsthand how generosity fuels transformation right in their own communities. Their presence added joy and perspective to the evening’s momentum.

Meeting Urgent Needs Across the City

The fifteen ministries receiving support this year represent a wide range of community impact. Two food-focused organizations—Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Just One More Ministry—continue to face record demand as families navigate rising food costs and uncertainty around FoodShare benefits. Other organizations are investing in youth development, addiction recovery, mental health, housing, and Christian education.

This year’s funded partners include:

• Chaplains in Schools dba A City for God

• Center for Urban Teaching

• Hephatha Lutheran Church

• Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

• Just One More Ministry

• JobsWork MKE

• Journeys Lutheran School

• Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School

• Lutheran Counseling and Family Services of Wisconsin

• The Lutheran Home

• St. Marcus Lutheran School

• Serenity Inns

• Project RETURN

• Redeemer Lutheran Church

• Wisconsin Lutheran High School

A Tradition of Faithful Giving

For seventy-three years, Siebert Lutheran Foundation has invested in organizations that strengthen faith, education, and community across Milwaukee. The Collaborators’ Event is one expression of that mission—a joyful gathering that celebrates both generosity and shared purpose.

We are grateful to everyone who participated, offered a gift, rang a bell, or simply showed up to be part of this growing movement. The impact reaches far beyond a single evening. It strengthens the ministries that anchor our neighborhoods and carries forward a legacy begun when Albert F. Siebert created the trust that became our foundation.

The momentum from this year’s event inspires us as we continue walking alongside partners who are sharing the Gospel, educating young people, and serving neighbors across Milwaukee.