NFCA Immediate Past Chair Honored for Volunteerism

05/01/06

Michael Stivoric named Franzmeier Leadership Award Recipient.

OAK BROOK, IL –The National Fraternal Congress of America’s (NFCA) Immediate Past Chair Michael Stivoric was given the Franzmeier Leadership Award by the Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee on April 26, at its 2006 Volunteer Celebration luncheon.

Stivoric serves as Vice President of Fraternal Operations at Catholic Knights in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He also is Chairman and one of the founders of JOIN HANDS DAY, a national day of service bringing youth and adults together to volunteer in their own neighborhoods.  This has become a popular day, especially in Milwaukee, where the Volunteer Center’s partnership with local fraternal benefit societies has earned them three national awards. 
 
“The NFCA wishes to congratulate Mike Stivoric on receiving this prestigious award,” said NFCA President and CEO Frederick H. Grubbe.  “Through his kindness and compassion, Mike embodies the essence of fraternalism.  His involvement in fraternal and charitable activities has been a shining example for others.  He is a true fraternalist.”

Stivoric’s volunteerism spans a total of 44 years.  Shortly after he and his family emigrated from Croatia to Canada in 1959, Stivoric began a life of service at age 17, volunteering as a local lodge officer of the Croatian Fraternal Union.

In 1972, he assumed a position at the home office of the Croatian Fraternal Union in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was extensively involved in promoting volunteerism during his 10 years there.  Stivoric served as president of the Croatian Center and the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh, as well as his local lodge.  He also raised thousands of dollars to benefit the Pittsburgh children’s hospital.

In 1982, he came to Milwaukee to join Catholic Knights.  Stivoric has served on the Board of the Volunteer Center, and the Sales and Marketing Executives Board, and currently serves as Chairman of the Waukesha County Block Grant Board.

Within the Croatian community of Milwaukee, Stivoric has devoted many hours of volunteer service to promote the Croatian culture.  During the 1990’s war in Yugoslavia, in cooperation with CorpCare, he raised money and made arrangements to ship $1 million worth of new clothing to benefit war refugees in his homeland of Croatia.

The Franzmeier Leadership Award is given in fond memory of Ron Franzmeier, who was a member of the Volunteer Center Board of Directors at the time of his death in 1991 (at age 46).  The recipient of this award must demonstrate exceptional compassion and vision through his or her own volunteer activities.

The 120-year-old NFCA unites 76 not-for-profit fraternal benefit societies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. The association represents almost 10 million people in 36,000 local chapters, making it one of America’s largest member networks. Fraternal benefit societies provide their members with leadership, social, educational, spiritual, patriotic, scholarship, financial and volunteer-service opportunities.  Combined, the NFCA’s member-societies maintain more than $315 billion of life insurance-in-force and, in 2004 alone, contributed almost $390 million to charitable and fraternal programs.  In addition, fraternalists volunteered approximately 91.5 million hours toward community-service projects during that same period.