# Milwaukee Jewish Federation

Milwaukee Jewish Federation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Milwaukee, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Milwaukee, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
- **Founded:** 1902
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** milwaukeejewish.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/milwaukee-jewish-federation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Founded in 1902, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation functions as the primary philanthropic planning and fundraising body for the region's Jewish community. Unlike a single-family office, its capital pool aggregates contributions from thousands of local donors through an annual community campaign and the affiliated Jewish Community Foundation. The organization sustains a network of local agencies, overseas partners, and communal infrastructure — including the Jewish Museum Milwaukee — while maintaining a capital base that provides long-term financial ballast. The Federation's investment strategy runs through a fund-of-funds and secondaries framework, channeling assets into external managers rather than direct operating-company positions. An Altss estimate places the endowment's size around $214 million, though the Federation does not publicly disclose its asset total. Real assets are substantial and locally concentrated: direct holdings include the Evan and Marion Helfaer Community Service Building, the Max and Anita Karl Jewish Community Campus in Whitefish Bay, and the Maurice S. Surlow Senior Residences, alongside the Federation Properties Portfolio in Milwaukee. The Federation operates as a member of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), the national network linking community-based Jewish endowments. Named philanthropic partners include Bader Philanthropies, which co-established the Helen Daniels Bader Jewish Education Fund, and Herb Kohl Philanthropies. The Lubar family represents a historically significant donor bloc — David Lubar, of Milwaukee's Lubar & Co., served as a former chairman — embedding a private investment sensibility inside the organization's governance. The Federation is structurally unusual among asset owners: its investment portfolio coexists with, and partially depends upon, the activities of the Jewish Community Foundation, which manages long-term donor-advised funds and legacy gifts. This hybrid structure means the Federation functions less like a pure endowment and more like a community-finance utility — sustaining both a balance sheet and a continuous fundraising operation sheltered under the same 501(c)(3) umbrella.

## Sectors

- Fund of Funds
- Secondaries & Special Situations

## Questions

### How is the Milwaukee Jewish Federation's investment portfolio structured?

The Federation invests through a fund-of-funds and secondaries framework, outsourcing capital to external managers rather than making direct operating-company investments. The portfolio is designed to support the Federation's long-term mission and is managed alongside a physical real asset base that includes several named communal buildings in Milwaukee. The organization does not publicly break out manager relationships or allocation targets.

### What is the relationship between the Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation?

The Jewish Community Foundation operates as an affiliated entity managing long-term donor-advised funds and legacy gifts, creating an endowment pool that functions in tandem with the Federation's annual campaign proceeds. This hybrid architecture means the Federation draws on both current-year giving and accumulated foundation assets to fund its operations and communal grants. The exact investment management responsibilities and separation of powers between the board and the Foundation are not publicly detailed.

### What community infrastructure does the Federation directly own?

The Federation holds title to several Milwaukee-area properties, including the Evan and Marion Helfaer Community Service Building, the Max and Anita Karl Jewish Community Campus in Whitefish Bay, the Joseph & Vera Zilber Building, and the Maurice S. Surlow Senior Residences. It also maintains the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, which houses collections including Marc Chagall etchings and the Violins of Hope exhibit. These assets form a direct real-estate component of the Federation's overall balance sheet.

## Related profiles

- [University of Hartford Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/university-of-hartford-endowment)
- [Mount Auburn Cemetery](https://altss.com/profile/mount-auburn-cemetery)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/milwaukee-jewish-federation

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