MILWAUKEE-Donors Forum of Wisconsin (DFW), a statewide membership association for grantmakers, mourns the loss of Joseph Zilber and celebrates his efforts to build strong neighborhoods that will have a lasting effect in Milwaukee. 

"Mr. Zilber's vision for the city of Milwaukee, and his investment in community revitalization will remain legendary in the philanthropic community of Wisconsin," said Deborah Fugenschuh, President of the Donors Forum of Wisconsin.  "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family." 

Joseph Zilber was the 2009 recipient of the Donor Forum of Wisconsin's Wisconsin Philanthropic Leadership Award, which honors
living philanthropists who have shown exemplary leadership through their charitable giving and recognizes the impact philanthropy has on maintaining and sustaining the quality of life that makes Wisconsin a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Announced in 2008, Mr. Zilber established the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative, a $50 million commitment to Milwaukee neighborhoods. Over the course of a decade, grants will fund community plans to neighborhoods across Milwaukee and support programs that benefit multiple neighborhoods and their residents. Foundation funds will be used to support community planning processes and improve the quality of community life. One of the first two neighborhoods selected to participate in the project was the Lindsay Heights neighborhood on the north side, the area where Zilber grew up. The other was the Clarke Square neighborhood on the south side. "The Zilber Neighborhood Initiative was created because I see the promise and opportunity to make a difference in Milwaukee that will be felt for generations to come," Zilber said in announcing his commitment.  

Through his Joseph J. and Vera J. Zilber Family Foundation, Mr. Zilber will continue to be one of Milwaukee's leading philanthropists whose previous gifts include a $30 million gift for scholarships at the Marquette University Law School including a Public Policy Forum, a $10 million gift to UWM to establish a Graduate School of Public Health, as well as significant contributions to numerous other charities throughout the city.  

Funeral services will be held at Marquette University's Alumni Memorial Union, Tuesday, March 23 at 10:00 a.m.

 

Tributes and remembrances in honor of Zilber: