What a year!
UEDA Highlights include:
- Welcomed new Member Engagement Manager Debbie Knepke.
- We grew our membership network by nearly 24% and engaged over 2,400 professionals in ALL UEDA programs and activities.
- Hosted 22 program meetings that educated 990+ practitioners in our Bank On Greater Milwaukee, Take Root Milwaukee, and Membership Capacity Building programs.
- We shared information on green homeowner incentive programs, voter registration and civic engagement, and the creative industries in Wisconsin through our Emerging Topics Series, as well as nonprofit capacity needs.
- Tabled at 8 community-wide events providing nearly 600 people with financial education and homeownership resources.
- We strengthened our support of the Nonprofit Lift website and directory, working in collaboration with other intermediaries.
- Continued to convene the City of Milwaukee NSP Community Organizers in bimonthly training sessions, to help organizers access City resources and share best practices.
- Completed 9 direct technical assistance projects, helping organizations address strategic & operational needs and the City of Milwaukee develop housing plans and new administrative processes for CDBG.
- Continue to provide support to the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center through technical assistance and funding.
- Launched the community engagement process for the City’s next HUD Consolidated Plan (2025-2029), working in partnership with community organizers and the UEDA network.
Our Bank On Greater Milwaukee program:
- Launched a new website that showcases Certified Accounts, Your Smart Money Guide, Educational Videos, and more.
- Partnered with Educators Credit Union and Summit Credit Union for the City of Milwaukee Earn & Learn Program to include banking access materials.
- Held two training cohorts that helped certify and strengthen the financial counseling skills of 55+ practitioners in our community.
- Developed a pilot program with the Community Reintegration Center (CRC), My Way Out, UW Extension, Bank Five Nine, and Summit Credit Union.
- BOGM Program Director Constance Alberts participated as a speaker at two national events this year, sharing about our efforts to create financially healthy communities: the Bank On Leadership gathering with the CFE Fund in June and at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ event, Banking on Financial Inclusion: The Road to Economic Empowerment in November.
Our Take Root Milwaukee program:
- Conducted 2 successful community sessions during Homeownership Month on homeowners’ insurance and how to pass your home to family. These events have sparked additional events organized by our members.
- Handled a near record number of messages from the hotline and website for referrals to help people buy, fix, or keep a home.
- Began development on a Lending Products and Down Payment Assistance (DPA) program matrix.
- Advocated for additional DPA in the the 2025 City of Milwaukee budget.
- Worked with IMPACT Connect to launch a system to better connect residents to home repair resources and services in the community.
Check out our Newsletter archive for additional updates, links, and resources.
We would like to thank our outgoing board members Nikki Payne and Vaughn Barker for your service with us. Best of luck on your next adventures! Additionally, we thank all of our Volunteers, Funders, Members, and Partners for their continued support of our work in community and economic development – we could not accomplish our mission without you!
We’ll see you in 2025!
