Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee

10/21/2026

It's not too late to join us for tomorrow's WF Civic Break with League of Women Voters - Milwaukee County

RSVP here >> https://womensfundmke.org/event/civic-break-league

AJR 102 is a proposed constitutional amendment that could change how elections work in Wisconsin. With November 3 less than two weeks away, it’s worth understanding.

On October 22 we're hosting WF Civic Break featuring Joan Schwarz of the League of Women Voters - Milwaukee County for a nonpartisan briefing on what AJR 102 is, what it would change, and what Wisconsin voters need to know.

Free. Virtual. 30 minutes. https://womensfundmke.org/event/civic-break-league/

10/19/2026

If you run your own business, AI is already part of your world. It's shaping how customers find you, how you get paid, how decisions get made about you behind the scenes. And most of it was built without women business owners in the room.

That’s why WF Presents 2026, which focuses on the ethics, equity, and the future of AI, matters for anyone running their own thing. We’re grateful to our Connection Hour Partners, a tier especially designed for the independent, woman-owned entity, for helping to make it happen:

Career Activist LLP
Cheryl Moore, PhD, founder and principal consultant

The GHM Group – Baird
Alexandria P. Simons, CPA

Huff Consulting
Sherri Huff, owner and president

J Washington Accounting & Tax Service
Jerri Washington, owner

NH Photography
Nicole Horvath, photographer, philanthropist, feminist

SHOP
Liz Sumner, owner

Silverbird Exchange
Neille Hoffman, founder

Dr. Meredith Broussard, author of More Than a Glitch, is keynoting. This conversation is happening November 18. Be in the room.

Reserve your seat: womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai

10/16/2026

Have you heard about Thirst Books? Milwaukee’s first brick-and-mortar romance bookstore... independent, woman-owned, and LGBTQIA+ affirming. Built around the belief that everyone deserves to see themselves in a love story.

That’s where WF Laundry Night is happening this month; hosted by WF community member Gudrun Howard.

Free and open to all >> https://womensfundmke.org/event/laundry-night-october-2026

10/14/2026

Today, Oct. 14, is the deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 3 general election.

Online: Voters who can match their name, date of birth, Wisconsin driver license or state ID number, and address with the Wisconsin DMV can register at myvote.wi.gov through today.

By mail: Your voter registration form and proof of residence must be postmarked today. You can find your clerk’s contact information here >> myvote.wi.gov/en-us/My-Municipal-Clerk

Staying informed is part of how we take part. Join us Thursday, Oct. 22, at 12:30 p.m. for a WF Civic Break with Joan Schwarz of the League of Women Voters - Milwaukee County. It’s a short, free briefing via Zoom; registration is required >> womensfundmke.org/event/civic-break-league

10/13/2026

AJR 102 is a proposed constitutional amendment that could change how elections work in Wisconsin. With November 3 less than two weeks away, it’s worth understanding.

On October 22 we're hosting WF Civic Break featuring Joan Schwarz of the League of Women Voters - Milwaukee County for a nonpartisan briefing on what AJR 102 is, what it would change, and what Wisconsin voters need to know.

Free. Virtual. 30 minutes. https://womensfundmke.org/event/civic-break-league/

10/12/2026

This year, our WF Presents partners have named Amplifiers... people who make a voice or good work impossible to ignore.

They’re the people who recognize the worth of something and then turn conviction into collective momentum by advocating for others until quiet ideas become a powerful chorus. Together they build a culture and community we admire and desire.

Our 2026 Amplifiers are:

Laura Bray, named by Kane Communications Group
Kelly Grebe, named by Quarles & Brady LLP
Chenoa James, named by speak. write. coach.
Dr. Susan Kerns, named by Associated Bank
Tere Sackerson, named by BMO U.S.
Ashley A. Smith, named by Michael Best
Lorna Young, named by Pamela Klein

Join us November 18 at The Pfister Hotel as we celebrate them and hear from keynote speaker Dr. Meredith Broussard on AI, equity, and the systems shaping our everyday lives.

Reserve your seat >> womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai

10/08/2026

Last month’s WF Laundry Night at Milwaukee Cheese Bar reminded us why we keep coming back.

The conversation went deep... and real.

◼️ We talked about how our attitudes toward work and family shift as we move through life, sharing experiences and sitting with the question of why those changes happen when they do.
◼️ We also spent time on something that hits close to home for a lot of women: learning to own and articulate our professional stories.

As women who often bring a wide range of experiences to the table, honing the way we tell our stories can open doors we didn’t even know were available to us.

Thank you to host WF board director Alexandria Staubach and Milwaukee Cheese Bar by Hill Valley Dairy LLC for the perfect setting.

Next up: October 26 at Thirst Books, hosted by WF community member Gudrun Howard. Free and open to all >> https://womensfundmke.org/event/laundry-night-october-2026

10/07/2026

In 1843, Ada Lovelace developed the first computer algorithm, making her the world's first computer programmer. Nearly two centuries later the technology born from that work is woven into almost every part of our lives.

This year's 1843 Partners carry that legacy forward by investing in the conversations our community needs about where this technology is headed... and who it's working for. We thank them for their support.

Join us November 18 at WF Presents 2026 for a keynote with Dr. Meredith Broussard on AI, equity, and its impact on everyday life.

Learn more and RSVP >> womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai

10/05/2026

What would you put in a basket to start a conversation?

For the FILM FÊTE 2026 silent auction, a Milwaukee Film fundraiser, we curated the Women's Fund Imagine the Possibilities Gift Pack (Lot #224) to create conversations, shift attitudes, and change perspectives. It holds three books and three conversations:

"More Than a Glitch" by Dr. Meredith Broussard. We don't hear enough conversations about ethics and equity in AI, so we invited an expert. Dr. Broussard is our WF Presents 2026 keynote speaker on Nov. 18, and registrants will receive her book at the program.
https://womensfundmke.org/wf-presents-ai/

"An Unexpected Life" by Gloria Steinem, her final memoir. It follows a childhood that taught her what poverty costs, an undercover assignment that became a defining exposé, and years in India that reshaped how she thought about organizing. Join us Nov. 12 for our free community book read, hosted by WF board director Pamela Klein, with ch*****ne and cake to follow. womensfundmke.org/event/unexpected

"The Inclusive Language Field Guide" by Dr. Suzanne Wertheim, the book we gave attendees at WF Presents 2023. Her keynote showed how the words we choose shape how we see ourselves and each other, and attendees left with six simple tips for using inclusive language. womensfundmke.org/history-of-annual-events

Check out Lot #224 and place a bid before time runs out at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 >> https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/sf-0013c00001peuKoAAI/events/vevt:aa7c17da-f5dc-4fa0-8c7d-adc3b957dbef/auctions/silent-auction

10/01/2026

By the 2000s, more women were working, leading, and shaping public life. But visibility didn't mean equity; women were still underrepresented in boardrooms, government, and the places where decisions were being made.

This was the decade we leaned into data. We co-published the groundbreaking Status of Women in Wisconsin Report (the state earned a C+), because the numbers helped show what many women already knew from lived experience: opportunity wasn't reaching everyone the same way.

It was also the decade we became an independent entity, opening an office in the Historic Third Ward... where we still are today. We launched Latina and Le***an Giving Circles with matching grants from the Kellogg Foundation, funded work in criminal justice, substance abuse treatment, and girls' leadership, and backed grassroots organizing for economic justice, paid sick leave, and violence prevention.

It was a decade about believing early, before the proof is obvious to everyone else.

Explore all four decades of our history >> womensfundmke.org/decades