For over a century the Rotary Club of Milwaukee has been proud to make a difference by CONNECTING PEOPLE AND RESOURCES. This year the Rotary Club of Milwaukee again offered members a fun way to make a difference in Milwaukee. Using $25,000 from the RCM Community Trust, and Rotarians' connections in the community, members were able to make an impact by enabling "Connecting to the Community" grants to projects in metro Milwaukee. Successful proposals aligned with the goal of providing community members with equitable access to resources that address structural racism across education, the arts, the environment or health.
The Rotary Club of Milwaukee is pleased to announce our 2025 grant winners...
Wisconsin Bike Federation - $5,000
Sponsored by Rotarians Christa Beall Diefenbach, Kathy Ehly, Jeramey Jannene, Maggey Oplinger, Keith Stachowiak, and Dave Wenstrup
The Bike Fed champions transportation justice and ensures equitable access to safe means of transportation for all residents of our state. They cultivate, motivate and unite a strong community to move bicycling forward through education, legislation and involvement, and aim to make Wisconsin one of the best places in the world to ride a bike. This grant will support their High School Active Transportation Academy, which is intended to introduce high school students to transit alternatives to driving, including bicycling, walking and taking public transportation, as well as the planning, policies and infrastructure that support these options. Students will be empowered to make informed transit options, help advocate for them and role model these activities to friends and family. Click here to learn more.Community Center for Immigrants - $5,000
Sponsored by Rotarians Jonathan Ward, Carol Alexander, Mary Bolich, Kathy Ehley, Francis Vogel and Jeff Smoller.
Community Center for Immigrants (CCI) facilitates integration and fosters self-sufficiency in the immigrant community by providing English and Citizenship education programs and immigration legal services. CCI's English and Citizenship education program focuses on adult education as an essential component of the integration process. Our courses build linguistic confidence, encourage the use of English outside the classroom, and prepare students for the naturalization exam. This grant will allow CCI to expand education programs that have demonstrated measurable success. With additional funding, CCI will reduce class waitlists by 75 percent and provide English and Citizenship preparation classes to 50 additional participants within the grant period. Click here to learn more. Radio Milwaukee - $5,000
Sponsored by Rotarians Edgar Lin, Stephanie Salvia and David Wenstrup.
Radio Milwaukee's Urban Alternative station, HYFIN, utilizes airwaves, digital stream, and its ever-increasing social media reach to amplify the music and stories of Milwaukee's Black community. Launched on Juneteenth in 2022, HYFIN is Milwaukee’s only Black-centric public radio station. More than just a media outlet, HYFIN is an economic and cultural force—spotlighting Black-owned businesses, celebrating creative excellence, and empowering entrepreneurs. HYFIN’s economic empowerment work goes hand-in-hand with its dedication to music and the arts. Clean here to learn more."I Have a Dream" Foundation - Milwaukee - $5,000
Sponsored by Rotarians Joanne Grunau, JoAnne Anton, and Leslie Hauser
"I Have a Dream" Foundation-Milwaukee (IHDF-MKE) empowers youth to thrive at school, at home, and in the community by providing individualized social, emotional, academic, and family support from first grade to first job, along with guaranteed post-secondary tuition assistance. Our vision is a world where every child has equal access to the educational, enrichment, and career opportunities that will ignite their innate potential. This grant will help to implement a comprehensive, integrated school-based mental health services program for 100 third grade Dreamers and their families including mental health assessments, individual and family therapy, parent education workshops, and summer programming. Click here to learn more.
Bernie's Book Bank - Greater Milwaukee - $2,500
Sponsored by Rotarians Meg McKenna, Tom Hughes and Jackie Fredrick
Bernie's Book Bank creates pathways to success through book ownership among children ages birth through sixth grade in Greater Milwaukee, ensuring that under-resourced children have equitable access to high-quality books in their home, a fundamental tool for academic success. More than 61% of low-income households in America have zero children's books, and for many children, a Bernie's Book Bank delivery is the first time they've ever owned a book of their own. Book ownership is one of the strongest predictors of academic achievement, and yet systemic inequities continue to limit access to this critical resource for Milwaukee's most vulnerable students. This grant will be used to procure bilingual books and books that feature characters of color. Click here to learn more.Grand Avenue Club - $2,500
Sponsored by Rotarian Dan Nelson
The mission of Grand 
Avenue Club is to provide Milwaukee-area adults who experience mental illness with employment, educational, and enrichment programming. We are a welcoming, non-clinical community that focuses on providing meaningful opportunities for our members. We are a "Community that Works". This grant will support the Culinary Unit which plays a vital role in delivering healthy, nutritious meals to adults living with mental illness, aligning directly with GAC's mission to foster community, enrichment, and recovery. Funds will help secure essential food items—such as eggs, fresh produce, oils, and spices—that are regularly unavailable through donations from generous partners. Nutrition is especially important for individuals with mental illness, as healthy food contributes to better mood stability, cognitive function, and overall well-being. Click here to learn more.
Avenue Club is to provide Milwaukee-area adults who experience mental illness with employment, educational, and enrichment programming. We are a welcoming, non-clinical community that focuses on providing meaningful opportunities for our members. We are a "Community that Works". This grant will support the Culinary Unit which plays a vital role in delivering healthy, nutritious meals to adults living with mental illness, aligning directly with GAC's mission to foster community, enrichment, and recovery. Funds will help secure essential food items—such as eggs, fresh produce, oils, and spices—that are regularly unavailable through donations from generous partners. Nutrition is especially important for individuals with mental illness, as healthy food contributes to better mood stability, cognitive function, and overall well-being. Click here to learn more.Many thanks to the Connecting to the Community Grants Committee, co-chaired by Marilka Velez and Pat Cronin
Scott Brown, Nemo Edwards, Janine Kolbeck, Avrum Lank, Edgar Lin, Jody Lowe, Mary McCormick, Theresa Reagan, James Robinson, Natraj Shanker, and Barbara Velez.
Past Connecting to the Community Grant winners can be found here.