Geri “Nana” Fotsch will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual BizTimes Media Nonprofit Excellence Awards program on Thursday, July 24.
The Nonprofit Excellence Awards recognizes southeastern Wisconsin’s top nonprofit organizations, leaders, philanthropists and corporate citizens. The event will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on July 24 at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. Click here to register for the event.
Fotsch is the president of the Fotsch Family Foundation, which focuses on supporting Catholic institutions and education. The foundation has made numerous contributions to local organizations, including Marquette University, Cristo Rey, Nativity Jesuit Academy, Notre Dame School of Milwaukee and the Women’s Care Center.
In 2022 the foundation provided a $7 million gift to Marquette University to support a new leadership center within MU’s Opus College of Engineering. With that gift, the foundation exceeded $14 million in contributions to Marquette’s Time to Rise campaign.
In 2021, the foundation pledged up to $1 million in matching donations for the United for Waukesha Community Fund, to support families affected by the Waukesha Christmas Parade massacre in November of that year.
In 2015 the foundation provided a $1 million gift to Waukesha County Technical College’s capital fund. The donation was used to help build the Integrated Manufacturing Center on the WCTC campus.
Nana Fotsch and the Fotsch Family Foundation are also longtime supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin. When it was expanded in 2020, the Fotsch Family Foundation sponsored The Fotsch Family Gathering Area.
Born in Illinois, Fotsch met her husband, William “Bill” Fotsch, in high school. After they married, Bill bought a machine tool company, named Bausch Machine Tool Co., and moved the business to West Allis. He eventually sold the company and retired.
Extremely proud of her large family, Fotsch has 8 children, 31 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren.
Her son, Tom Fotsch, vice president, secretary and treasurer of the Fotsch Family Foundation, is chief operating officer and co-owner of Pewaukee-based EmbedTek LLC, a technology company specializing in the design and manufacture of embedded systems.
As previously announced, these are the finalists for the other Nonprofit Excellence Awards (winners in each category will be named at the July 24 event):
Corporate Citizenship Awards:
Corporate Citizen of the Year – Legacy Leader:
- Baird
- Milwaukee Tool
- Northwestern Mutual
Corporate Citizen of the Year – Community Catalyst:
- Landmark Credit Union
- Lannon Stone Products
- Rebel Converting
Volunteer of the Year:
- Robert Arzbaecher, Carmen Schools of Science & Technology and City Forward Collective
- Amber Cochran, StaffWyze
- Phyllis King, Waukesha County Technical College
- Julie Tolan, Lauber Business Partners
In-Kind Supporter:
- Bader Rutter
- Garland Alliance, Inc.
- iLevel Media
- Mueller Communications
Next Generation Leadership:
- Max Mann, Baird
- Adam Puzach, Pack Logix
- Paige Radke, UMB Bank
Nonprofit Awards:
Innovation in Education
- 3DE by Junior Achievement
- LAUNCH, School District of Elmbrook
- LUMIN Schools
- Messmer High School
Nonprofit Collaboration of the Year
- Harambee Homeownership Initiative, led by Community Development Alliance (CDA) and allies
- FUSE – MKE Tech Hub, Higher Education Regional Alliance, MSOE, Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, Associated Bank, Northwestern Mutual, Molson Coors, Rockwell Automation, WEC Energy Group, Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute
- Rogers Behavioral Health and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin
Nonprofit Executive of the Year
- Dr. Kurt Owens, Bridge Builders
- Patrick Landry, Notre Dame School of Milwaukee
- Dr. Tiffany Tardy, PEARLS for Teen Girls
- Brandon Hill, Vivent Health
Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year
- i.c.stars Milwaukee
- Meta House
- Rooted & Rising Washington Park
Small Nonprofit Organization of the Year
- Bay View Community Center of Milwaukee Inc.
- City on a Hill
- Eras Senior Network, Inc.
Social Enterprise
- Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation
- Kinship MKE, Inc.
- St. Vincent de Paul of Waukesha County
The Nonprofit Excellence Awards program is sponsored by Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank. Supporting sponsor is Versiti.
