The New Berlin High School Alumni Foundation didn’t start in a boardroom or with a strategic plan. It started at a reunion.
When the New Berlin West High School Class of 1970 gathered for their 50th reunion, something unexpected happened — the event generated surplus funds. For most groups that would have been a pleasant surprise and nothing more. For this class it became a question: what do we do with this?
Another party seemed unlikely. As the class approached the milestone of turning 70, the idea of organizing another grand reunion felt improbable. But doing nothing with those funds felt wrong too. This was a class that had always believed individuals could come together to create something lasting — after all, they had graduated into a world being shaped by the first Earth Day, founded by Wisconsin’s own Senator Gaylord Nelson. That spirit of civic engagement never left them.
The Class of 1970 had also come of age during one of the most turbulent chapters in American history. Many classmates served their country. All of them lived through a time that taught hard lessons about community, sacrifice, and the importance of looking out for the next generation. Fifty years later those lessons shaped everything about how this foundation was built.
So instead of another reunion, the committee asked a different question — what kind of legacy do we want to leave?
The answer was clear. Scholarships. Not for four-year degrees — there were already plenty of foundations doing that. But for the students who chose a different path. The ones heading to vocational schools, technical colleges, and apprenticeship programs. The future electricians, automotive technicians, welders, healthcare workers, and skilled tradespeople that every community depends on but too few foundations support.
After careful research and deliberation, the New Berlin High Schools Alumni Foundation, Inc. was officially born in August 2022 — recognized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. That designation means every donation made to NBHSAF is tax deductible and goes directly to supporting students from New Berlin West and New Berlin Eisenhower High Schools.
Our directors and board members serve entirely as volunteers — elected democratically at our annual class picnic, receiving no compensation for their time. Every dollar raised goes where it belongs. To the students.
We are proud of where we came from. And we are even more proud of where we are going.
NBHSAF exists because a group of people in their seventies decided that the best use of their reunion surplus wasn’t another party — it was a better future for the next generation. That decision is still driving everything we do.
Each hand represents an equal and essential part of the NBHSAF mission:
Alumni The hand that started it all. Our alumni are the heart and origin of the foundation — the Class of 1970 and the generations that followed who believe that giving back to New Berlin is one of the most meaningful things they can do with their success.
Students The hand that makes everything worthwhile. Students aren’t passive recipients of our work — they are active and equal partners in this mission. Their ambition, their courage to choose a different path, and their commitment to building something with their skills is what drives every decision we make.
Business & Industry The hand that connects education to opportunity. Local businesses and trade unions bridge the gap between the classroom and the career — providing apprenticeships, mentorship, and the real-world context that turns training into a livelihood.
Our Community The hand that holds it all together. The broader New Berlin and southeastern Wisconsin community provides the foundation on which everything else stands. When neighbors, families, and residents invest in students they invest in a stronger, more vibrant community for everyone.