Mr. Zilber Wants to Know

Joseph Zilber is the 90-year-old Milwaukee philanthropist who announced last month an ambitious plan to improve the lives of people living in neighborhoods like Harambee. He has pledged $50 million to involve neighbors in planning and implementing solutions to the unique characteristics of where they live.

People are beginning to give their ideas through various channels about Zilber's program. Many people, including a Board consisting of major city leaders, are speaking with Lloyd Consulting, the group hired by Zilber to help him structure a successful charitable investment. The Public Policy Forum and former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin recently commented in the blogosphere. Eugene Kane used his column to chime in with his ideas. If this gift or the donor were like most others, advice would go unheard.

But it's all clearly different. After Kane's column appeared, Mr. Zilber called him.

"Zilber told me he liked some of my suggestions but wanted more, particularly
from 'regular people.'

'Why don’t you ask them what they would do with the
money?' he said."

Mr. Kane has volunteered to collect emails sent to this address with “How To Spend Zilber’s Money” in the subject line. He'll make sure they get to the appropriate people, and he may use them in a story.

This is our chance to let Mr. Zilber know about your hopes and dreams for the Harambee Community. Let him know you're a "regular person" and what work from the Harambee Community Action Plan you are taking on. Or, let him know how you became involved, or why you think organizations and people are pulling together today more than ever in Harambee. Tell him what would be possible with just a few more of those fifty million dollars.

We did it with Thrivent when they put a million dollars on the table. Tell Mr. Zilber why he should invest the next million.