30 Years of Commitment to the Community

by Monica Dignam

 October 11, 2008 marks the 30^th anniversary of Professional Dimensions.  Founded with the goal of providing a network for professional women in the Milwaukee area, PD quickly expanded its activities to include community involvement as one of the four cornerstones of the organization

One of the most important ways we demonstrate our commitment to community involvement is through charitable giving, a practice that began in 1979 with a $200 scholarship.  Over these years, PD has contributed $863,329.00 in scholarships and grants in the Milwaukee area!

From 1979 to 1985, PD offered small scholarships progressing up to $1,000 to young women selected by a committee of members. 

In 1985, in addition to scholarships that had increased in value to $2,000, PD began to award direct grants to community organizations that provided assistance to area women and girls. That year, the amount of money donated in scholarships and grants increased significantly to over $5,000.  The pattern of giving in which a combination of scholarships and direct grants were provided continued until 1992, the year the Professional Dimensions Charitable Fund was established. 

The establishment of the Professional Dimensions Charitable Fund in 1992 marked a change in the PD philosophy of charitable giving.  That’s when PD realized that a major gift to a single organization would make a real impact on the community and was within reach of the increasingly recognized organization.  It was hard to be noticed for the small grants we’d made in the previous 13 years, even though PD had made $23,050 in scholarships and $15,300 in direct grants up to that point. 

Two significant changes were adopted: (1) a multi-year commitment to an organization was made and (2) direct fund raising was initiated among members with matching funds contributed by the PD organization.  This created an exponential increase in the amount PD had available to give, and in 1992 PD’s contributions more than doubled.  

Two organizations received a two-year commitment with $52,295 going to S.E.T. Ministries an organization serving inner city families and $24,674 to The Women’s Fund.  In 1994, a three-year commitment was made to the YWCA during which $120,000 was provided to help develop the Women’s Business Initiative Incubator and other programs making women more economically self-sufficient.  Meta House followed in 1997 with $180,719 contributed over three years.  From 2000 to 2003 The Milwaukee Women’s Center received $150,000 enabling women to escape domestic abuse.  The two-year commitment to PEARLS for Teen Girls (2003-2005) an organization that helps young teen girls who need the support of successful women role models to fulfill their dreams, has been equally successful raising over $157,000. The latest project, Women's Harm Reduction Program of the Benedict Center helps women who have been involved with the criminal justice system by providing education, counseling, parenting skills development and other self sufficiency skills.

Recipients of PD Scholarships and Grants 1979-2007

Scholarships for a total of $23,050 1979-1991

Charlotte Owens, $200

Ellen Pfeifer, $300

Larraine McNamara, $500

Marna Tess Mattner, $500

Gail Hunke, $500

Lynn Fournier, $500

Jeri Kedzierski, $500

Alicia Marie Fernandez, $250

Ana-Marie Fernandez, $250

Angela Marie Nilius, $1,000

Business World Scholarships, $600

Theresa Gilgenbch Schwanted, $2,000

Lynn Baldwin Heiting, $2,000

Business World Scholarships, $350

Karen Lincoln, $2,500

Wisconsin Junior Miss, $100

Kay Pleyte, $2,500

Deborah Kaiser, $1,000

Maye Ruth Lambert, $1,000

Lillian Leenhouts Scholarship for Women in Architecture, $1,500

Bobbi Jo Winegarten, $1,250

Michele Ann Plunta, $1,250

Maita Fuller, $500

Margzellas Washington, $1,000

Vickie Wilson, $1,000

Grants -  1979-1991 for a total of $15,300

Next Generation Theater, $500

Daystar, Inc, $500

Meta House, $1,000

National Security Conference for Women, $500

Women's Center of Waukesha, $1,500

Girl Scouts of Milwaukee, $1,000

YWCA of Greater Milwaukee, $1,000

Next Generation Theater, $500

Highland Community School, $500

St. Francis Children's Center, $500

Penfield Children's Center, $1,000

Alverno Day Care Center, $2,000

Wisconsin Alliance for Children, $500

Next Generation Theater, $500

Benedict Center, $2,000

Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative, $800

Learning Enterprise of Milwaukee,  $1,000

Professional Dimensions Charitable Fund Organizations 1992-2008

For a total of $863,329.00 +

1992-1994   Set Ministries, $54,295

1992-1994   Women's Fund, $26,674

1994-1997   YWCA of Greater Milwaukee, $128,000

1997-2000   Meta House, $180,719

2000-2003   Milwaukee Women's Center, $149,428

2003-2005   PEARLS For Teen Girls  $157,675

2005-2007   Benedict Center Women's Harm

                                Reduction Program $174,355

2007-2008   The Dominican Center for Women  $52,000+