Community involvement at Wipfli: Giving shaped by personal experience

Generosity often deepens over time. A cause becomes personal through lived experience — a family moment, a career path shaped by education or an encounter that shifts perspective. When giving is grounded in those experiences, it tends to last.

Across Wipfli, associates are using the Wipfli Foundation and the Groundswell app to turn deeply personal motivations into sustained community impact. The stories below reflect different paths to generosity, but all share a common theme: thoughtful, intentional giving that grows alongside life and career.

Grace Lindner: Giving shaped by faith, family and empathy

For Grace Lindner, an operations support manager based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, charitable giving is rooted in her faith and life experience. Groundswell provided a convenient way to bring together the many organizations she already supported — simplifying her giving while amplifying its impact through matching funds from the firm.

Much of Grace’s giving flows through her church, the Living Hope Church in Green Bay, where she has volunteered for decades, teaching Sunday school and supporting ministry programs. Beyond that, she supports organizations that reflect her family’s journey. After her son completed a residential faith‑based treatment program that changed his life, Grace became a regular supporter and advocate for similar organizations that help individuals recover from addiction.

Her giving also extends to organizations supporting survivors of sex trafficking, local animal welfare groups, international child sponsorship programs and disaster relief efforts. Personal connections continue to guide her philanthropy — including support for equestrian therapy programs that help her nephew, who has cerebral palsy, improve strength and posture through adaptive riding.

Whether through donations, volunteer efforts on the firm’s Community Day, or simply showing up when others are in need, Grace believes giving doesn’t have to be overwhelming to matter. When many people give a little, the collective impact can be life‑changing.

“If everybody just gives a little, it makes a huge difference in a lot of lives, she said. “It’s not about giving a fortune — it’s the combination of everyone doing something.”

Greg Newfield: Finding perspective through service

Greg Newfield’s involvement with cancer support organizations began during a transitional period in his life — a time when career and family were thriving, but something felt incomplete. That sense of responsibility led him to join the board of Gilda’s Club Minnesota, where he now serves as treasurer.

Greg’s connection to the organization is personal. While living with family during a housing transition, he watched a loved one endure an extended cancer journey, seeing firsthand the emotional toll it took not only on the loved one with cancer but on everyone around them. That experience made the mission of Gilda’s Club — providing community, emotional support and connection to individuals and families facing cancer — deeply meaningful.

“I’ve been fortunate in life, and it was ingrained in me early on that giving back matters — because not everyone has the same advantages,” said Greg, audit partner in Minneapolis.

Through Groundswell, Greg supports the nonprofit with recurring contributions, taking advantage of employer matches that extend the reach of his giving. His service has also reshaped how he views his day‑to‑day work. Time spent with Gilda’s Club offers perspective — a reminder that some challenges are far larger than deadlines and deliverables.

For Greg, giving back is both a duty and a grounding force, a way to stay connected to purpose while helping ensure others are not alone during life’s toughest moments.

Bill Hughes: Investing in education as opportunity

Education has shaped Bill Hughes’ life and career — and his giving reflects that belief. He primarily supports educational institutions and scholarship programs that expand access for students from lower‑income communities.

Bill regularly gives back to his alma mater, Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, crediting its strong academic programs and leadership opportunities for helping him prepare for an entrepreneurial career in accounting. Beyond higher education, he also supports K‑12 scholarship organizations that provide students with access to educational opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

“Education opens doors, and I want to help provide access and choices for people who may not have them otherwise,” said Bill, a Denver-based partner who works largely with construction organizations.

Bill was extremely impressed with Wipfli’s early adoption of the Groundswell app. He appreciates the flexibility Groundswell offers, allowing him to make annual contributions while ensuring funds are directed to credible organizations. Matching funds help extend his impact, reinforcing his belief that education remains one of the most effective long‑term investments communities can make.

For Bill, supporting education is about creating choices — equipping the next generation with the tools to build their own futures.

Kate Atkins: Turning lifelong philanthropy into action

Philanthropy isn’t new to Kate Atkins — it’s been part of her life since childhood. With a master’s degree in philanthropy and fundraising and a career serving nonprofit organizations, Kate approaches giving with both heart and strategy.

Her primary personal focus is animal welfare, particularly through her long‑standing involvement with Heartland Farm Sanctuary in Wisconsin. What began as a school partnership evolved into nearly 15 years of board service, including time as board chair. The sanctuary rescues farm animals from neglect and abuse while also providing humane education, youth camps and therapy programs that support children through connection with animals and nature.

Kate, a senior consultant with the firm’s nonprofit and government practice, also supports other animal rescue and rehabilitation organizations and select civic and social causes. Groundswell allows her to consolidate her giving into a personal donor‑advised fund — offering a sense of ownership while amplifying her contributions through Wipfli’s match.

“What I love about Groundswell is that it lets me do, on a small scale, what I’ve always dreamed of — creating a giving fund and watching my impact grow,” Kate said.

Kate explained further that the Wipfli Foundation makes an aspirational idea tangible: the ability to build a small foundation of her own — one that reflects her values and supports causes she believes can bring compassion into the world.

A shared commitment

These stories highlight different motivations, causes and paths to generosity — yet together they underscore a shared commitment at Wipfli. When personal values are supported by structure, matching and trust, giving becomes both sustainable and meaningful.

Through the Wipfli Foundation and Groundswell, associates continue to turn individual purpose into collective impact — strengthening communities one intentional contribution at a time.

Read Part 1 of the two-part series.