Donating to United Way funds in Milwaukee, Madison areas

By Lauren Anderson -Apr 3, 2020 11:04 am

Last updated on April 6th, 2020 at 02:34 pm

The American Family Insurance group this week pledged more than $4 million to support COVID-19 pandemic relief and other nonprofit efforts. 

The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation and American Family group companies are donating $275,000 to COVID-19 relief funds where they have offices, including Milwaukee, the Green Bay area, Boston, Denver, Jacksonville, the Minneapolis/St Paul area, Phoenix, St. Louis and St. Joseph, Missouri. 

Locally, the Dreams Foundation is contributing $15,000 to the United Way of Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties COVID19 Urgent Needs Fund, and $10,000 to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation MKE Responds Fund. 

The company is also giving $50,000 to United Way of Dane County/Boys and Girls Club COVID Support Fund. 

“The pandemic has left many struggling to meet basic needs while at the same time adapting to a new and unsettling normal,” said Maggie Pascaly, American Family community investment manager. “We want to help meet short-term needs of individuals, families and communities, while also addressing longer-term effects.”

The Dreams Foundation is also accelerating two of its annual distributions to provide relief for community programs earlier. The Dreams Foundation grant program, which usually announces grants in July, will be expedited, and the Community of Dreamers program, originally scheduled for October, will instead take place this spring. Both of those programs, combined with additional COVID-specific funding, will invest another $3 million into communities.

“Nonprofits have had to cancel annual events and fundraisers they depend on to fund vital programs and services and keep their offices running,” Pascaly said. “By moving up distribution of funding, nonprofits can get support faster that can help them get through this pandemic.”