Reimagining Philanthropy with Ellen Gilligan

On The Edge Of Equity

In this episode, Ellen Gilligan shares the critical leadership lessons she has learned as president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation as it works toward its goal of "A Milwaukee for All." Importantly, she shares, reimagining philanthropy means recognizing that the work is “more than money.”

Gilligan discusses the need to shift from seeing people in under-resourced communities solely as recipients of philanthropy to seeing them as partners who can co-create solutions. She considers her work a personal journey to dismantle white supremacy.

Finally, listen to the most surprising thing Gilligan has learned on her professional journey.

Episode Highlights:

06:52 - As we look forward to moving the foundation offices onto Martin Luther King Drive, we are inspired by the fact that we will be embedded in a community where we have deep relationships that we have built over time, and we are building trust, I hope, and that we are real partners in this work. And I know fundamentally that this will change. It already has changed the way we do our work, the way we think about our work, the way we think about how we will invest our resources, the decisions we make. Everything about our work is fundamentally changing. And this is the beginning of a long term partnership and commitment to that neighborhood. As far as I can see, the best is yet to come.

11:47 - I think that the most surprising thing that I have learned, once I get past my own defensiveness and fragility, is that it awakens a true love and caring of my colleagues. You care about your colleagues. You care about their families.

18:56 - We have the power by working together to change that. And part of what makes Milwaukee worth it is that it is the size community that you can really make a difference. New York City, LA, some of the larger communities that are facing some of the same challenges have a much steeper hill to climb, I think.

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Guest Bio:

As president and CEO since 2010, Ellen Gilligan has amplified the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s role as a leader, convener and catalyst, bringing community together around a shared vision for a vibrant region. She has advanced a new era at the foundation where racial equity and inclusion is the North Star that guides decision-making, investment and action across the organization.

Her tenure has been marked by growth, collaboration and a deep commitment to strategies that foster access to opportunity, strengthen the community and improve lives. In 2020, Ellen led the launch of the Foundation’s new strategic vision of A Milwaukee for All to focus philanthropy on mending the fault line of systemic racism that prevents individuals, families and the region from reaching their full potential.

Serving Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties, the Foundation is Wisconsin’s largest community foundation – managing more than $1 billion in assets – and was among the first in the world. Since being established in 1915, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants supporting a wide variety of nonprofits and initiatives that enhance the quality of life in greater Milwaukee and beyond.

Much of Gilligan’s career has been dedicated to the community foundation field. Before coming to Milwaukee, she spent 12 years at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, most recently as its vice president of community investment and president of the HealthPath Foundation.

Gilligan serves on the national board of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Locally, she is a member of the Milwaukee Succeeds Leadership Table and co-chair of the MKE United Downtown Action Agenda. She is a board member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, has co-chaired its Creative Placemaking Committee, and serves on its Racial Equity & Inclusion Committee.