Cream City Foundation (CCF)

The Cream City Foundation (originally the Cream City Association Foundation) was founded as the charitable arm of the Cream City Business Association on October 5, 1982. The foundation quickly adopted its own set of bylaws and registered as a separate charitable foundation.

Originally started with $500 in seed money, CCF has grown to provide over $2M in grant dollars to improve the quality of life for LGBT people.

In October 1987, CCF sponsored a regular cable program called "Tri-Cable Tonight", sponsored by a group of people called Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Cable Network. This committee created original queer programming on Milwaukee's public access cable for almost five years.

After the demise of Gay People's Union, the Foundation opened a new community center in December 1987. The Foundation Community Center was a makeshift office, meeting, and conference facility located at 225 S. 2nd St. For two years, this became the meeting place for many local organizations and events. In May 1989, Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist met with LGBTQ community leaders here to discuss how his new administration could be more supportive and inclusive.

Cream City Foundation initially struggled with fundraising capabilities. Between the AIDS crisis and a reignited sense of community engagement after the 2nd March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights (1987,) many causes were competing for the same funding. Thanks to the support of the Cream City Foundation, critical new organizations like PrideFest Milwaukee and the Milwaukee AIDS Project were able to survive and thrive.

The Foundation moved their offices to the Enterprise Center (2821 N. 4th St.) in 1989, and moved again to the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center (315 W. Court Street) in 1995. The organization hired its first full-time executive director, began to network with other non-profit organizations, and began earning prominent grants and estate donations. After moving to their own offices (759 N. Milwaukee St.) in 2005, CCF continued to redefine itself for the 21st century.

In 2010, they unveiled their new brand positioning:

Cream City Foundation is a community based foundation focused on funding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) programs and organizations working towards social change in southeastern Wisconsin.

We believe that philanthropy has an immense influence on creating long-lasting social change in our communities - including the elimination of homophobia and gender identity discrimination. We invest with our grantee partners to change attitudes and institutions such that they cease to create the very problems that charity tries to alleviate - we call this structural change philanthropy.

Cream City Foundation also works closely with local and national funders to promote structural change philanthropy and create a giving and philanthropic cooperation to ensure our funding has its maximum impact in our communities.

Part of our strategy also includes building visibility of our local LGBT communities through specific initiatives, such as GayNeighbor.org, in addition to our grant making; provide philanthropic education and giving tools; and expanding the philanthropic tools available for those interested in funding LGBT issues.

CCF's "social change" focus caused some concern about mission creep.  Rather than being an incubator for new non-profits, or supporting LGBTQ causes or community needs, Cream City Foundation focused grantmaking on solutions "that create long lasting change on behalf of LGBT people by focusing on the relationship between widely held beliefs (cultural change) and policies, institutions, structures (organizational change) that produce inequities."  The change in focus became a successful formula for long term sustainability.

Cream City Foundation celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2012, when Executive Director Paul Fairchild ushered in an era of social impact, community engagement, and renewed purpose.  Unfortunately, the organization struggled through its toughest years from 2018 to 2021, when it endured four presidential transitions within three years, a PR crisis involving former president Brett Blomme, and the economic anxiety of a global pandemic. 

The foundation has rebounded from this challenging era with a renewed Board of Directors, a fiscal relationship with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and ongoing student scholarship and community grant programs.

Presidents have included:

1982-1983- Ralph Navarro
1984-1989- Don Schwamb
1989-1991- Warren Breitlow
1991-1993- William Frank
1993-1998- Tony Rhodes
1999- Mary Messerlie
- Denise Wise
- Kevin Loos
2007- Tim Clark
2010- Jim Schleif
2017-2020- Brett Blomme
2020-2021- Gary Balcerzak
2021- DJ Quam
2021-present Charlie Nash

The UWM Libraries has ownership of the Cream City Foundation Collection, which describes the organization as:

Cream City Foundation (CCF) is the only non-profit, grant-making, community-based foundation serving the entire State of Wisconsin whose sole purpose is to support the changing needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. The Cream City Association Foundation, as it was originally known, was formed in mid-1982 as the charitable arm of the Cream City Business Association (CCBA). However, CCAF quickly adopted its own set of bylaws and registered with the State and Federal I.R.S. as a separate charitable foundation. The first board meeting of the CCAF was called to order on October 5, 1982. In December 1986, CCAF changed its name to the Cream City Foundation. In addition to awarding grants, CCF has also sponsored the Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Cable Network, a volunteer group that produced regular and special programming on gay and lesbian issues for Milwaukee's public access cable channel. It helped establish the Foundation Community Center in 1988 as a gathering place for various groups in Milwaukee's LGBT community. CCF raises funds by participating in the United Way and A CHOICE programs, holding fundraising events such as Casino Night, and relying on the donations of private individuals.