About The Zilber Family Foundation
The Zilber Family Foundation is a private grantmaking institution dedicated to increasing access to social and economic opportunity. We work with and support nonprofits and communities to address basic needs, advance economic stability, deliver nonprofit sector support, and further invest in legacy projects initiated by our founders, Joseph and Vera Zilber.
Vision
All people have the resources and opportunities to prosper
Mission
To increase access to social and economic opportunity
How are we fulfilling our mission?
The Zilber Family Foundation strives to meet the basic needs of people living in poverty and invests in programs and systems that create pathways to economic stability and an improved quality of life.
Values
RELATIONAL
We build relationships that are rooted in trust and transparency.
COURAGEOUS
We are willing to risk action over inaction.
EQUITY
We pursue social, economic, and racial equity.
TRANSFORMATIONAL
We activate our resources to contribute to long-term, catalytic change.
ADAPTIVE
We learn and evolve based on changing circumstances and opportunities. We are receptive to feedback.
GENEROSITY
We are committed to giving beyond the check.
Our History
Established in 1961 by visionary real estate leader Joseph J. Zilber and his wife Vera, the Zilber Family Foundation is an independent grantmaking institution. For decades, the Zilber family has been an unwavering beacon of altruism. This legacy of compassion extends far beyond singular contributions, reflecting the Zilber family’s belief in the power of sustained philanthropy to effect lasting social change. Over the years, the Zilber Family Foundation has generously contributed more than $300 million to a diverse array of nonprofits and public institutions in Wisconsin and Hawaii.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Joe Zilber attended Milwaukee public schools and Marquette University, where he met his wife, Vera.
Rooted in his commitment to Milwaukee and its residents, Joseph J. Zilber established his own real estate brokerage office, Towne Realty, which would later fold into the holding company, Zilber Ltd., a revered residential and commercial real estate firm that continues to invest, build, and manage real estate across the nation. The Zilber Family Foundation is a majority owner of Zilber Ltd.
Between 2000 and 2007, the Foundation awarded more than $50 million in long-term commitments to Milwaukee-based organizations. They included grants to support the Zilber Hospice; youth development and human service organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs, Jewish Federation, and United Way; and higher education at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).
Their support for higher education included a transformative $10 million gift, in 2007 to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee to support the development of the UW-Milwaukee Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health. A defining moment for the Foundation, the gift was a testament to Joseph and Vera’s dedication to advancing public health, and in 2023, the Foundation reinforced this commitment with a $20 million investment in the UWM Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health to establish two flexible endowment funds supporting faculty excellence and student achievement.
In 2008, Joe Zilber launched the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative, a ten-year $50 million Initiative to improve the quality of life in three Milwaukee neighborhoods: Lindsay Heights, Clarke Square, and Layton Boulevard West. The Foundation’s commitment to a targeted approach to neighborhood improvement, launched in the year of the Great Recession – drew considerable attention in Milwaukee – as a place-based model that centered community voice.
This enduring legacy is guided by the belief that every individual, family, and neighborhood should have the resources and opportunities to prosper, a vision that continues to drive the Foundation’s impactful work today.
