“Do those served grow as people—healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants?” – Robert K. Greenleaf
Recent research continues to find that servant leadership aligns closely with ethical behavior and long-term value creation rather than short-term wins (Trigoso-Yupari & Gago-Chávez, 2025).
As WISL has explored before, servant leadership is more than doing good deeds; it’s a consistent, values-driven way of showing up for people (WISL, 2025). Nonprofits are often where that consistency is easiest to see, but certainly not the only places to observe servant leadership.
However, numerous Wisconsin nonprofits commit to servant leadership every day. Below are four organizations, spanning Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton, and the Coulee Region, that are putting servant leadership’s characteristics into practice, along with real ways for young professionals across the state to get involved.
4 Wisconsin Nonprofits Practicing Servant Leadership
1. Porchlight, Inc. in Madison, WI
Porchlight has worked to reduce homelessness in Dane County since 1985, when local faith communities opened emergency shelter space for people with nowhere else to go. Today, it’s the largest provider of affordable housing in the county, running an emergency shelter, an eviction-prevention program, job training, and long-term supportive housing.
That mission is a working definition of stewardship, creating support for the good of the wider community rather than for personal or organizational gain. It’s also personal for WISL— Chris Laurent, President of Cinnaire Solutions and a Viterbo University Master of Arts in Servant Leadership graduate, served as president of Porchlight’s Board of Directors while sitting on the boards of several other Wisconsin nonprofits (more on him below).
Get involved: Porchlight welcomes volunteers for shelter meal service and job-readiness support, and regularly seeks community members for its board and committees! Learn more on their website ←
2. Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Milwaukee & Appleton Locations
Founded in 1982 by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin now works with a network of more than 600 partner organizations to reach nearly 400,000 people a year across 35 counties. About 1 in 10 people in the region faces hunger, and the organization built its entire operating model around closing that gap.
That reach illustrates building community by fostering belonging and shared responsibility across a wide network instead of concentrating effort in one place.
Get involved: Sort and pack food at the Milwaukee or Appleton warehouse, staff a mobile food pantry, or help connect neighbors with FoodShare benefits. Learn more on their website ←
3. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, WI
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee matches youth with volunteer mentors through community-based, school-based, and mentor programs, with more than 500 kids currently waiting for a match. The organization insists that “college students, young professionals, retirees, couples, and many other adults make great mentors.” They aren’t looking for a perfect résumé, just people willing to show up consistently.
That consistency over convenience is exactly what commitment to the growth of people looks like in practice: mentors commit to at least two years, meeting several times a month, with the sole goal of helping someone else grow.
Get involved: Apply to be a Big, or ask about associate/young professionals board opportunities that support fundraising and outreach. Learn more on their website ←
4. Couleecap in the La Crosse Area
Couleecap has fought poverty across Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe, and Vernon counties since 1966, connecting people with housing, food, energy assistance, and job support. The organization puts its philosophy simply: “values only matter when they are turned into meaningful action.”
Couleecap’s work is rooted in foresight—another core servant leadership trait. By understanding the lessons of the past and the realities of the present well enough to change what happens years down the road, not just this week.
Additionally, Couleecap serves the same region as Viterbo University, WISL’s partner for Community Conversations and the annual Viterbo Conference on Servant Leadership.
Get involved: Couleecap welcomes volunteers for its food pantries and weatherization program and regularly looks for community members to join its board. Learn more on their website ←
Servant-Leader Spotlight: Chris Laurent
Chris Laurent, President of Cinnaire Solutions, a nonprofit-focused CDFI affiliate that has helped finance an active pipeline of more than $400 million for underrepresented community developers across the Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
Chris earned his Master of Arts in Servant Leadership from Viterbo University, and it shows in how he spends his time outside the office, being involved with:
- President of Do Good Wisconsin
- Treasurer of the Dane County Housing Authority
- Director of Forward Community Investments
- Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative
- Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness
- Former president of Porchlight’s Board of Directors
Chris’s story is a reminder that servant leadership doesn’t require a title change. Many of Wisconsin’s most active servant-leaders hold down a full-time job and serve on two, three, or more nonprofit boards at once, simply because they see a need and show up.
How Young Professionals Can Start Practicing Servant Leadership
If these nonprofit missions resonate with you, keep that momentum going. Here are some ways you can start practicing servant leadership in your life:
- Volunteer with one of the four organizations above! Or find an organization that you are truly passionate about. Most offer flexible evening or weekend shifts built for people with day jobs.
- Ask about a young professionals or associate board. Many Wisconsin nonprofits, including BBBS of Metro Milwaukee, build these specifically to develop the next generation of leaders.
- Mentor someone. This remains one of the most direct ways to practice commitment to the growth of people, while also growing yourself.
- Bring servant leadership conversations into your life by joining a WISL Roundtable and talking through what you’re seeing with other leaders across the state.
- Attend a Community Conversation event to hear directly from Wisconsin leaders who are already leading with empathy, humility, and courage.
- Sign up for the WISL newsletter for new blogs and upcoming events.
- Explore our Servant Leadership Articles for more research-backed reading on servant leadership.
References
Trigoso-Yupari, R. M., & Gago-Chávez, J. D. J. S. (2025). Advances, gaps, and future directions in servant leadership research: A systematic state-of-the-art review. LACCEI International Multi-Conference for Engineering, Education and Technology, 2(13). https://doi.org/10.18687/LEIRD2025.1.1.1024
Wisl. The role of servant leadership in community building. Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/role-of-servant-leadership-in-community-building/
Wisl. Servant leadership is more than just doing good deeds. Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/servant-leadership-more-than-doing-good-deeds/
Wisl. Timeless quotes that define servant leadership. Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/timeless-quotes-that-define-servant-leadership/
Wisl. (2025, November 6). What is Servant Leadership? How is it Different from Other Leadership Styles? Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/what-is-servant-leadership-how-it-is-different-from-other-leadership-styles/