Joseph And Vera Zilber Charitable Foundation
Official website for the Zilber Family Foundation (Joseph & Vera Zilber Charitable/Foundation) based in Milwaukee, WI. The site describes the foundation’s grantmaking priorities (economic stability, basic needs, sector supports), provides a grants portal and application guidance, and lists contact details and staff.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Organizations working on economic stability, affordable housing, basic needs, health/substance-abuse services, or community and small-business development—especially Milwaukee or Wisconsin-based nonprofits with capacity for reporting and partnership.
Good Fit
- • Primarily Milwaukee- or Wisconsin-focused programs or partnerships.
- • Work in housing, homeownership, property improvement, economic development, health, or youth services.
- • Ability to submit a concise letter of inquiry and to meet semiannual reporting requirements.
- • Organizational readiness for grants ranging from small awards to multi-hundred-thousand-dollar investments.
Geography
Observed giving is heavily concentrated in Wisconsin (about 85% of dollars) but grants were recorded across 16 states, so the footprint is primarily state-focused with some out-of-state activity.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows a broad portfolio: 316 grants to 187 distinct recipients across many program areas, and modest top-five dollar share, indicating a diverse recipient set for the foundation’s size.
New Applicants
Nearly half of the latest-year recipients were new (about 89 new grantees), the foundation publishes application guidance and a grants portal, and it invites a one-page letter of inquiry, all of which support strong plausibility that unfamiliar applicants can enter the portfolio.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
