Bao Vang

Joseph Zilber, a 90 year-old real estate magnate, is going to donate 50 million dollars of his money to “fix” some of the entrenched problems in Milwaukee over the next ten years.  You can hear the whole story at NPR, National Public Radio.  What strikes me about this is:  Is 50 million dollars enough to help fix deeply entrenched problems in a community such as poverty, affordable housing, access to education, and affordable healthcare?  I think that it’s great that Joseph Zilber is wanting to give back to the community that he grew up in.  It amazes me that he’s giving away $50 million and he has my utmost respect for making that kind of gift to try to help people who were in the same situation that he was when he was growing up.  Here is a man who wants to try to make a difference and I hope that it succeeds.  He will need the help and the support of the local community partners (philanthropic institutions, local goverment, and the local community members).   I hope that the city, the county, the state of Wisconsin, and other philanthropic donors (either donors or institutions) will also join in this man’s effort to make changes in the neighborhood that he grew up in.