Joseph Brooks
Managing Director
Joseph is a managing director based in Arabella’s Chicago office, where he leads many of the firm’s individual and family engagements and helps his clients realize impact through Arabella’s array of advisory and fiscal sponsorship tools and services.
Joseph comes to Arabella with considerable experience as a philanthropic advisor working with wealthy individuals and families, a leader of community foundations, and a fundraising strategist focused on building and implementing comprehensive campaigns, including for Marquette University and the country’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization. Prior to joining Arabella, Joseph led the philanthropic advising team at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. He and his team supported individual philanthropists and donor collaboratives in investing millions of charitable dollars to support entrepreneurs and small businesses, launch new programs focused on equitable student achievement, and transform urban developments centered on systems change.
Joseph began his career as a high school teacher for Chicago Public Schools, where the systemic barriers to economic mobility facing too many young people and their families inspired a career in philanthropy. He holds a bachelor of arts from Lawrence University in psychology and education studies, a master’s in public administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in nonprofit management and leadership, and a master’s in business administration from Marquette University. Additionally, he is a chartered advisor in philanthropy and a certified fundraising executive. Joseph lives in Milwaukee, WI with his family and is passionate about issues related to education, economic mobility, and inclusive community building.