The Argosy Foundation
A new definition of philanthropy

by Kate Hogan

Argosy: A rich supply.

The Argosy Foundation: Supplying generous grants to organizations in need.

See a connection?

The newest philanthropic foundation to hit Milwaukee has a legacy of living up to its name. Created in Boston more than a decade ago, the Argosy Foundation was the brainchild of John Abele, co-founder of the Boston Scientific Corporation, a leading medical device manufacturer. Backed by shares of Boston Scientific stock, the value of the foundation is projected to exceed one billion dollars within the next five to ten years depending on market performance.

Throughout the past decade, Argosy has given millions of dollars nationally in grants focused specifically on three areas: education, the arts, and the environment. The foundation has given to some international agencies as well, including the Washington, D.C.-based Women for Women, an organization founded by an Iraqi woman who helps others around the globe start their own businesses through micro-lending and sponsorship.

Although John Abele started the foundation, his three children have been active in mobilizing the project in recent years. Most notable are the efforts of son Chris, 37, who decided it was time for Argosy to make the move from Boston to Milwaukee. According to Argosy Chief Operating Officer Jeff Snell, Chris grew to love Milwaukee while working on his undergraduate degree at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.After returning to Boston to work with Argosy for a while, Chris, who has recently taken over the reins of the foundation, convinced the family that a move to Milwaukee would benefit Argosy’s goals. Once the shift from Boston is complete, as it will most likely be within the next two years, Milwaukee will be home to Argosy’s only office. Since Chief Operating Officer Snell and a handful others have been hired to run the foundation, the roles of the lawyers and accountants who handled Argosy in Boston will slowly diminish as well.

Tucked away in an ultra-modern office suite that has just enough space for Snell, Argosy blends in among the new developments of Milwaukee’s up-and-coming Third Ward. The foundation operates almost unbeknownst to area residents – in fact, the foundation operates under the city's radar. But surprisingly, that anonymity is exactly what the foundation desires: unlike most foundations, they do not raise money or accept written grant proposals. “If you’re good, we know about you,” says Snell. “The idea of just giving a lot of money away is not attractive to us.”

The goals of Argosy grants are to help both new and old recipient agencies to function more effectively and efficiently – “to create best practices,” says Snell. Major players of the foundation – Snell and the Abele family – believe organizations do not need more donations, rather, foundations just need to observe smarter giving.“Doing it better, with more intensity and impact – that’s good philanthropy,” says Snell.

And so far, Argosy is raising the bar. The foundation has donated heavily in both Boulder, Colorado, and throughout Vermont, where Chris’s sister Jeneye Bolton, and his brother, Alex, respectively live. According to a February 2003 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, each of the three Abele children is given a share of the foundation’s funds each year and is allowed to donate to the causes they choose. Jennifer funds environmental and educational organizations and hopes to possibly open a Boulder Argosy office someday; Alex funds arts organizations such as teh Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. Chris has chosen to focus on the Milwaukee arts scene if for no other reason than that he enjoys it. “He just has a passion for the arts,” says Lacrecia Thompson, director of corporate and foundation relations for the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Recent benefactors of Chris’s donations include UW-Milwaukee, which has received millions of dollars from Argosy specifically earmarked for its arts program. Chris would like to revive the theater department there, and even help develop a theater program at Marquette University as well. Argosy has also helped support the Milwaukee Art Museum with exhibition funding. “We have a good relationship with Chris Abele,” says Thompson.

Aside from the arts, Chris focuses on social and humanitarian causes. Last year, he awarded a $250,000 grant to WisconsinEye, a C-SPAN-like broadcast of action on the floors of the Wisconsin Senate and House of Representatives. Completely bi-partisan, the program will place 71 cameras throughout the Wisconsin Capitol building. According to WisconsinEye Vice President Jon Henkes, Chris chose to fund the project because of his love for politics. “He’s very civic-minded,” says Henkes. “He understands the challenges facing democracy today.” Another appealing aspect of the project is the fact that it is not commercially funded, meaning that the $15 million startup fee will be raised through private sources. Charter Communications and Time Warner have both donated airtime, allowing the program to be seen round-the-clock by residents all over the state of Wisconsin – a rarity for such a project. “Our ability to reach people right out of the gate is greater on day one than many programs that have been around for seven or eight years,” Henkes says, crediting Argosy’s donation as one that really pushed WisconsinEye ahead. “Chris Abele was one of our earliest champions in this project.”

Described by Henkes as delightful, intelligent and fun, Chris shies away from the press, but not the organizations he contributes to. “He’s a great cheerleader for the organizations he becomes involved with,” Henkes says. “He’s not a typical private, cloistered philanthropist.” In fact, Chris sits on the board of directors of these organizations he contributes to. Chris has described this involvement as “value-added giving,” allowing him to help Argosy-supported organizations distribute and use grants effectively. “Chris is one of those rare individuals who invests his time and money into his projects,” says Henkes.

In addition to issuing grants, Argosy sponsors and underwrites numerous annual events, including a gala for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Wisconsin and a multi-city party for Camp Heartland, a camp for kids who are living with and affected by HIV-AIDS that was founded by a UW-Madison graduate.

Snell himself was drawn to the foundation because of its mission and relocation to Milwaukee. Formerly president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, he is now able to help impact that organization on a different level, while sustaining other causes as well. “My job is to make it all a reality,” he says. “To flesh out the plans of the family and the foundation.”

Although Snell is the sole employee in the Milwaukee office, he stresses that the small scale of the operation is beneficial to its purpose. While the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, formerly the largest philanthropic organization in Milwaukee, employs a staff of 25, Snell says that Argosy hopes to strike a greater balance and level of efficiency with a smaller staff – most likely hiring just five or six additional employees next year. “We run on a leaner scale,” he says. “And we’re in an infancy stage.”

Though many would think that Bradley and Argosy, along with other area organizations, such as the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation and the Milwaukee Foundation, would step on each other’s toes, Jim Marks, vice president of the Milwaukee Foundation, claims just the opposite is true. “We don’t see ourselves as competing with other organizations,” he says, adding that all of the foundations have a slightly different focus. While Argosy gives internationally to environmental, artistic and educational causes, the Milwaukee Foundation provides funding to all fields within a four-county area. But those differences aside, the high volume of philanthropic organizations in Milwaukee has the potential to make a phenomenal impact. In fact, Argosy and the Milwaukee Foundation are currently working together on an initiative for child welfare with several area organizations.

So as Argosy continues adjusting to its new location, it may also have to adjust to more attention than it’s used to. Buzz about the foundation is increasing and soon the Abele’s family secret may become common knowledge to residents of Milwaukee and the rest of the state. However, Snell knows that no matter what challenges come Argosy’s way, the core principle of the foundation will always prevail.

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