Ellen Gilligan served as president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation from 2010 to 2024. Under her leadership, GMF’s philanthropic assets doubled to more than $1 billion, and annual grant support for community organizations more than tripled, with more than $81 million awarded in the past year alone.
“Gilligan spearheaded racial equity and inclusion initiatives at GMF, launching the ‘A Milwaukee for All’ strategic vision in 2020 to address systemic racism,” said Chronda Higgins, director of client services at Athena Communications.
Gilligan led the formation in 2011 of Milwaukee Succeeds, a community-wide partnership focused on success for every child “from cradle to career,” and then championed the ThriveOn Collaboration, which invests in housing, early childhood education, health and wellness and economic opportunity in underserved neighborhoods. The collaboration opened the ThriveOn King building, a hub for businesses, health care and affordable housing, in the city’s Bronzeville district in 2024.
Beyond GMF, Gilligan chaired CFLeads, a national network of community foundations, and served on the boards of the Local Initiatives Support Corp. and the Greater Milwaukee Committee.
