My predecessor, Dave Johnson, took special notice of the many non- profits contributing so mightily to the quality of life in Madison and Dane County and of how many of them were struggling to stay alive. He took the initiative to offer management consulting, financial services, office space, and combinations of those services to agencies in need. The fees for those services were based on what the agency could  afford, because the point was to relieve some of the  burden on their already straining budgets, and not on the current market rates.

Currently, Family Service Madison serves the following nonprofit organizations: Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center; Imagine A Child's Capacity; Housing Initiatives, Inc.; The Road Home; Unidos; The Rainbow Project; Deaf Unity; and the South Madison Coalition of the Elderly.  Like the Boys & Girls Club, those are agencies operating with values very much akin to ours at FSM.

Call it "family." Call it "community." Call it "collaboration." No matter what we call it, the point is the same: We're all in this together. And no matter what our individual agency focus may be, there is a common thread that runs through this quilt of caring: Good people doing hard work to make our little corner of the world a better place to live. Walk into any one of these agencies and you find the same warm hearts,strong  minds and open arms. It's both humbling and uplifting to be part of such a community.

On those days when I dare to dream big, I envision a nonprofit incubator, through which struggling service agencies can find financial relief and the strength of collaboration and shared resources. I can see us pulling together the patchwork, stitch by stitch, of a quilt of care that will keep us all just a little bit warmer in  a world that's sometimes a little too cold.

The FSM Board of Directors approved creation of a new position - a hybrid business and fund developer post - and that it has been filled by the illustrious Boris Frank. 

Boris Frank

Boris has been a senior consultant for more than 35 years, president of his own firm since 1982, primarily in the areas of fundraising, not-for-profit management and strategic planning.  Most recently, he directed fund development for the International Crane Foundation, and prior to that he served as executive director of Madison's Henry Vilas Zoological Society...The Friends of the Zoo for two years. From 1964 to 1982, Boris was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, serving as the manager of administration for WHA-TV. Prior to that, he was the manager of the International Broadcast Division of Screen Gems, manager of Caribbean Operations for Bartell Broadcasting, and executive assistant to David Susskind.

Boris lectures for the University of Wisconsin, teaching workshops and seminars on fund-raising, board and organizational development, grantsmanship, volunteer management and proposal writing.  More than 35,000 have attended his courses.  He is on the faculties of UW-Superior, Milwaukee and Oshkosh continuing education; the UW-Wisconsin Business School Fundraising and Development Institute; the United Way Board Training Program; the Grassroots Leadership College; and the University of Wisconsin Certified Public Managers program.

"WISE Star" stands for the "Wisconsin Integrated Services for Elders" using the Wisconsin star method of assess ment.  These are specialized older adult and caregiver services staffed by Masters-level mental health therapists.

Therapists have backgrounds in the fields of clinical social work, counseling psychology, clinical psychology and community counseling psychology with more than 50 years of combined experience in the human service field.

FSM's services to older adults and caregivers include the following:

Individual/couples/family therapy

Our psychotherapists are prepared to work with elders on problems such as mood disorders, medication management, family issues, social adjustment to age, and other relevant concerns that elders experience.

 

It can be difficult and stressful to care for an aging parent and be faced with the choice to put an aging parent into assisted living or a nursing home. WISE Star offers counseling for people who are dealing with these difficult issues.

Mediation services

When a family reaches an impasse or has conflicting ideas about the care of their loved one they may want to seek mediation services. Negotiating the complexities of long term care planning can be a daunting task. WISE Star offers specialized elder mediation services and conflict resolution.

 

Specialized services for LGBTQ older adults, families, and friends

All of our older adult and caregiver services as described above are available with a special sensitivity to the families and families of choice of the LGBTQ Community.