United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County raised a total of $58,815,465 through its 2022 fundraising campaign, the nonprofit announced late Wednesday during a campaign closing celebration.
This year’s campaign total surpassed the organization’s $57 million fundraising goal by nearly $2 million.
“From company workplace campaigns to individuals and families, there are so many in our community who supported our annual campaign this year,” said Amy Lindner, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “We thank everyone who donated, volunteered, and partnered with us. We continue to be inspired by our community’s generosity.”
Also at Wednesday’s campaign closing event – sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and held at the Mitchell Park Domes on Milwaukee’s south side – United Way announced a new community initiative focused on youth mental health. Dubbed Empowering Minds, it’s purpose is to build a “Comprehensive School Mental Health System,” which would provide a continuum of services to promote mental health and wellbeing of high school students.
“In early 2022, United Way brought together mental health experts to explore the topic of youth mental health within our community,” said Lindner. “We built this initiative based on advice and guidance from local, state, and national experts as well as those with lived experience, and we know we can change lives of high school students by focusing on mental health promotion, early intervention, and treatment services.”
United Way will spend the first year of the initiative fundraising as it partners with two local high schools, one in Milwaukee and one in Waukesha.
“This fundraising and learning will allow us to scale this work in 2024 and beyond,” said Lindner.
United Way’s 2022 community campaign officially launched in early September; it was chaired by Mike Carter, executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief risk officer at Northwestern Mutual; Linda Gorens-Levey, partner at General Capital Group; Nancy Hernandez, president and founder of ABRAZO Marketing/Hispanic Collaborative; and Judie Taylor, president and chief executive officer at Enterforce Inc. and president at DUECO Safecurity LLC.
The annual campaign allows the organization to invest in local programs and initiatives aimed at supporting the health, education and financial stability of hundreds of thousands of people in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties. Nearly 1,500 companies and organizations and 50,000 donors contribute each year.
United Way’s 2021 community campaign brought in $56.5 million, and the 2020 campaign brought in $60.1 million. The two campaigns prior to that each raised about $56 million.
The largest corporate supporters of the 2022 campaign include:
- T&M Partners LLC and the Kelben Foundation, $5.3 million
- Northwestern Mutual, $3.5 million
- Baird, $3.4 million
- Johnson Controls, $3.2 million
- Aurora Health Care, $2.6 million
- Rockwell Automation, $2.5 million
- Husco $1.8 million
- Ascension Wisconsin, $1 million
- BMO, $1.6 million
- We Energies, $1.5 million
- Froedtert Health, $1.2 million
- Quarles & Brady LLP, $1.2 million
- ManpowerGroup, $1 million
