Executive Letter: Empowering Futures – Foundation Gala Shines Light on Financial Literacy Initiatives
By Rose Oswald Poels
As chair of the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation (WBF), I am happy to report that the second annual WBF Gala held on September 12 at the Wisconsin Historical Society was not just a fundraising success but was also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the important work being done by the Foundation.
The mission of WBF, the non-profit arm of the WBA created in 2015, is to promote financial literacy and capability through education, scholarships, grants, and research. Some of the ways that mission is being achieved are through the popular Reading Raises Interest Kits distributed statewide in conjunction with National Teach Children to Save Day, higher ed scholarships for students attending Wisconsin institutions, Banconomics reports that provide key data to banks in the Midwest, and grants made to other non-profit organizations aligning with our mission.
Leaders from non-profit organizations which received 2024 WBF grants were present at the Gala, and it was wonderful to see their financial literacy work being recognized by the attendees. Those non-profits are:
• 6:8, Inc – Circles Sauk Prairie program inspiring and equipping families and the community to resolve poverty and thrive
• Asset Builders – Statewide high school Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl competition
• Eastbrook Academy – Empowering educators for financial education excellence
• Economics Wisconsin – Statewide middle and high school stock market game
Attendees also heard an inspiring speech from Cole Hicken who was a 2021 WBF Spring Scholarship recipient. Hicken impressed us all with his reflections on the impact his scholarship had on his trajectory, his current success in the industry, and his goals for the future.
The festive event started off on the terrace of the Historical Society overlooking the UW-Madison Library Mall before moving to the elegant library space where guests enjoyed delicious food, good company, and the fun, fast-paced live auction.
I want to sincerely thank the incredibly generous attendees, sponsors, and donors who supported the WBF through multiple ways including presence at the Gala, event sponsorships, table sponsorships, donating silent and live auction items, and generous auction bidding. I am proud to reveal that the Gala raised a net profit of $23,000. We could not have achieved this success without the big-hearted and impactful support of WBA members and their guests.
Champion Sponsor:
FHLBank Chicago
Advocate Sponsors:
Bell Bank, Capitol Bank, Johnson Financial Group, and FIPCO’s ShareFI
In-Kind Donors:
4imprint
American National Bank – Fox Cities
American Players Theatre
Associated Bank, Green Bay
Bank of Kaukauna
Bankers’ Bank, Madison
Bell Bank, Eau Claire
BOK Financial Capital Markets
DoubleTree by Hilton Madison East
Mary and Kyle Engelke
Findorff
Fiserv
Food Fight Restaurant Group
Godfrey & Kahn
Green Bay Packers Foundation
Donna Hoppenjan
Ironwood
Mark Koehl
Cassandra Krause and Pierre Rideau
Lake Ridge Bank, Middleton
Ami Myrland
Rose Oswald Poels
Park Bank, Madison
Peoples State Bank, Wausau
The Edgewater Hotel
The Equitable Bank, Wauwatosa
Wilderness Resorts
Wisconsin Bankers Association
