Community Impact Report
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” ~ Ephesians 3:20
Faith. Community. Impact
A Message from Our Board Chair and President & CEO
We reflect on 2025 with deep gratitude for the faith-filled vision of our founder, Albert F. Siebert, and for our family of grantee partners, donors, directors, and staff, who continue to carry that vision forward. Seventy-three years ago, Mr. Siebert made an extraordinary investment rooted in his trust in God. Today, that single act of faith has grown into a shared movement, where generosity brings people together to accomplish far more than any one organization could alone.The past year invited both reflection and renewed commitment. We launched a history project to honor the Foundation’s beginnings and evolution, grounding our work in Mr. Siebert’s enduring call to spread the Gospel. At the same time, we began a comprehensive strategic planning process. We also reached a major milestone with the completion of our Endowment Fund Match.
Dr. Emily Van Dunk, Chair, Board of Directors, and Charlotte John-Gomez, President & CEO
Faith in Action Through Partnership
Grounded in a shared mission, Siebert’s grantmaking equips ministries to serve with compassion, respond to evolving needs, and extend the reach of the Gospel.
Building Church Together, Where Life Happens
For many, stepping into a church building can feel unfamiliar or even out of reach. So, what might church look like if it met people where they already are?
Through a partnership with Luther Seminary’s Faith+Lead program, Siebert Lutheran Foundation supported a learning cohort designed to explore this very idea. Launched in July 2024, the cohort brought together 30 leaders from eight ELCA congregations and ministries across the state. Over the course of a year, participants engaged virtual coaching and in-person training, each developing a practical plan to experiment with new forms of ministry in their local context.
These efforts, known as “Fresh Expressions” of church, move beyond traditional models to create spaces of connection in everyday settings. Rather than inviting people into existing structures, these ministries take shape where life already happens—among neighbors, during shared activities, and within communities often disconnected from the church.
Shaping Faithful Futures at Wisconsin Lutheran High School
Wisconsin Lutheran High School (WLHS) continues to grow in both reach and impact, serving more than 900 students while preparing young people for productive, Christ-centered lives. Through strategic support for student services, tuition access, and the school’s Growing Opportunities capital campaign, Siebert Lutheran Foundation is helping strengthen a learning community where students can thrive academically, emotionally, and spiritually.
The impact of this partnership is reflected in stories like Vicar Keri Jackson, a WLHS graduate whose call to ministry began in a school chapel message and has led him to serve children and families in Milwaukee today. Together, Wisconsin Lutheran and Siebert are helping shape not only strong students, but faithful leaders for the future.
A Free Clinic Breaking the Cycle of Crisis Care
For many individuals living with chronic disease, healthcare becomes a cycle of crisis—relying on emergency rooms for reactive treatment rather than receiving consistent, coordinated care. The Bread of Healing Clinic (BOHC) is changing that reality through an integrative model that treats the whole person, not just the condition.
Founded in 2000, BOHC provides free, trauma-informed healthcare across three Milwaukee locations, serving low-income, uninsured adults with complex medical needs. This approach is especially critical for patients managing chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease—many of whom have also experienced trauma.
Who We Are
Siebert Lutheran Foundation is an independent, private foundation established to advance the Lutheran church and its ministries. Pan-Lutheran in nature, the Foundation accepts funding requests from ministry programs associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Our geographic focus is Wisconsin, especially Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine and Kenosha counties.
The Siebert Lutheran Foundation's mission is to maximize collaboration, relationships, and funding to strengthen and grow organizations in the Lutheran Christian community that share the Gospel, educate children and youth, and serve the needs of our neighbors.
The seeds of the Foundation were sown when Mr. Albert Siebert set up a trust in 1952 to dedicate his entire interest in Milwaukee Electric Tool (now known as "Milwaukee Tool"), the company he founded, to be left to “advance the Lutheran church” after his death. When his family sold Milwaukee Electric Tool to Amstar Corporation in 1976, Siebert Lutheran Foundation, set up as an independent private foundation, received its first major capital infusion of $35 million. As stated in Mr. Siebert's last will, these funds were dedicated to “spreading the Gospel, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and alleviating human suffering.”