Our Community

For over 50 years, Vrakas has emphasized the need to give back to the community. The firm has done this not only through monetary gifts, but also by participating in community events, volunteering with area nonprofits and through memberships in various community organizations. Additionally, Vrakas employees support various community organizations throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

Alzheimer's Association - Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter

Vrakas supports the Alzheimer’s Association who leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.

Blessings in a Backpack - Waukesha & Kenosha Chapter

Vrakas has volunteered with Blessings in a Backpack for 5 consecutive years.  Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry.

Bots IQ Wisconsin

Vrakas has volunteered with Bots IQ Wisconsin. Bots IQ is a robotics education program that is a spinoff from the popular BattleBots(R) TV show. Students build combat-type robots and compete against other teams to see which team has designed and built the best product.

Casting for Hope

Vrakas support Casting for Hope. Casting for Hope was a fishing retreat that raised money for Camp Hope. Camp Hope is committed to providing emotional support and weekend retreats to help children and families work through the grieving processes after the lose of a loved one.

Eras Senior Network

Vrakas supports Eras Senior Network. The mission of Eras Senior Network is to engage and support seniors, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers in leading meaningful lives.

Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce

Vrakas supports The Germantown Chamber of Commerce. The Germantown Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to help you grow your business through the support and commitment of our members, volunteers, and community leaders. The Chamber is proud to sponsor programs, seminars, and fun events throughout the year to help your business become an indispensable part of the Germantown community.

Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce

Vrakas supports The Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce. The Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce is the leading business organization representing the interests of business in Brookfield, Wisconsin. We provide our member businesses with resources to help them develop and grow their business, thereby hiring additional employees; those employees in turn impact the economy and quality of life in our community and the region.

Friends of the Waukesha Public Library

Vrakas supports Waukesha Public Library. Waukesha Public Library champions the power of reading and learning to enrich, empower and engage all in our community.

Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA)

Vrakas supports Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA). KABA helps promote economic development in Kenosha County

Make a Wish Foundation

Vrakas supports Make a Wish Foundation. For children diagnosed with critical illnesses, a wish come true can be a crucial turning point in their lives. A wish can be that spark that helps these children believe that anything is possible and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses. This impact is why we are driven to make every one of these wishes come true.

Max - Fly Open in Support of Children's Wisconsin

Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce

Vrakas supports the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. For more than 150 years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) has been serving area businesses as a private, not-for-profit organization. Today we represent 1,800+ member businesses with more than 300,000 employees in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties and beyond.

Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries (MBBI)

Vrakas supports the Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries (MBBI). MBBI is the premier membership and trade organization in the Midwest for deal makers, business professionals, intermediaries, investors and anyone involved in buying, selling, financing or investing in small to medium-sized businesses.

Milwaukee Montessori School

Vrakas supports the Milwaukee Montessori School is a private independent day school dedicated to expanding the human potential of all children for the purpose of educating them for a freer, safer, world.  The work of our faculty and staff advances our ideas rooted in our belief in democracy, personal freedom, solidarity with those at the periphery of society, the well being of our planet, and educating children to become informed, engaged, ethically minded citizens for the world that they will inherit.

Paradigm Shift | Pewaukee Robotics Team

Team 1259 Paradigm Shift is a FIRST Robotics team at Pewaukee High School. Paradigm Shift, functioning as a small business, partners with professional instructors, engineers, and business mentors who intern with students to solve complex problems through engineering, science, technology, and business principles.

Ronald McDonald House Charities - Eastern Wisconsin

Vrakas supports the Ronald McDonald House Charities – Eastern Wisconsin. RMHC aims to keep families together and promote the health and well-being of children who may be facing healthcare needs.

United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.

Vrakas supports the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. UWGMWC changes lives and improves our community by mobilizing people and resources to drive strategic impact in health, education, and financial stability.

United Performing Arts Fund.

Vrakas supports United Performing Arts Fund. UPAF engages the community to support 14 Performing Arts Members, including First Stage, Florentine Opera Company, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Skylight Music Theatre, as well as numerous Affiliates.

Waukesha County Business Alliance

Vrakas supports the Waukesha County Business Alliance. WCBA’s mission is to drive economic growth in Waukesha County. They do this through four key pillars: Advocacy, Development, Networking and Promotion

Wellness Council of Wisconsin

Vrakas supports The Wellness Council. WCW is the only nonprofit organization in Wisconsin dedicated exclusively to helping employers design results-oriented wellness programs to maximize the health and productivity of their most valuable asset- their employees.

As a firm, we support the following community organizations:
  • Alzheimer’s Association – Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter
  • Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha & Kenosha Chapter
  • Bots IQ Wisconsin
  • Casting for Hope in support of Camp Hope
  • Elmbrook United Soccer Club (Formerly Brookfield Soccer Association)
  • ERAs (Formerly Interfaith Senior Programs of Waukesha County)
  • Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce
  • Friends of Waukesha Public Library
  • Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA)
  • Make-A-Wish Foundation
  • Max-Fly Open in support of Children’s Wisconsin
  • Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
  • Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries (MBBI)
  • Milwaukee Montessori School
  • Paradigm Shift | Pewaukee Robotics Team
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin
  • United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County
  • United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF)
  • Waukesha County Business Alliance
  • Wellness Council of Wisconsin
Organizations our employees are actively involved with include:
  • Arrowhead Center for the Arts
  • Beta Alpha Psi Alumni Association (UW-Whitewater)
  • Casting for Hope in support of Camp Hope
  • Friends of Waukesha Public Library
  • Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce
  • Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) of Waukesha County
  • Independent Business Association of Wisconsin
  • Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee
  • Marathon Athletic Club (MAC)
  • Max-Fly Open in support of Children’s Wisconsin
  • Milwaukee Chapter of Executive Women’s Golf Association
  • Rotary Club of Kenosha West
  • St. Anthony on the Lake
  • Tempo Waukesha
  • The Association for the Rights of Citizens with handicaps (ARCh)
  • United Way of Kenosha County
  • UW- Whitewater Advisory Boards
  • Waukesha County Technical College Foundation
  • Waukesha Sunrise Rotary Club
  • Wellness Council of Wisconsin
  • Wisconsin Alumni Association

Community Awards

Vrakas received the 2019 Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA) Community Service Award – Organization.

The Community Service Award is one of 10 annual Excellence Awards that celebrate WICPA members and their employers for their achievements. This award recognizes an organization for its community service contributions at the local, regional or state level. Recipients have initiated or increased their community service activities and reinforced the profession’s reputation for commitment to the public good.

Vrakas Gives Back

As a way to give back, Vrakas supports community organizations with its annual charity lunches program. Each department chooses a charity and all proceeds are donated to that cause. From June through November, Vrakas and its employees supported the following organizations in 2022:

  • Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS)
  • Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha & Kenosha Chapters
  • Casting for Hope in support of Camp Hope
  • Tunnel to Towers
  • Make-A-Wish Wisconsin
  • Rescue Gang

Pop Tabs for Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Charity Pop tabs
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Volunteer Day

Additionally, Vrakas sets time aside each year for its annual volunteer day.  The employees of Vrakas spend a day supporting a local organization in need of assistance.  For 2022, the 15th annual event, Vrakas supported Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Community Services organization named Robyn’s Nest. Robyn’s Nest houses new and gently used clothing, hygiene products, infant items, toys, books, and other household goods. Robyn’s Nest provides these items free to families within the foster care system, as well as those identified to have unmet needs through Children’s Wisconsin.

For its volunteer project, Vrakas assisted Children’s Wisconsin by unloading a semi-trailer truck of toys and organizing them within the warehouse. In addition, Vrakas took up its own collection of toys as part of its volunteer day support.

Previous volunteer day organizations:

  • 2022 – Children’s Wisconsin – Robyn’s Nest
  • 2021 – Children’s Wisconsin – Pediatric Dental Program 
  • 2020 – Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha, Kenosha, and National Chapter
  • 2019 – Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha and Kenosha Chapter
  • 2018 – Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha Chapter
  • 2017 – Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha Chapter
  • 2016 – Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha Chapter
  • 2015 – Blessings in a Backpack – Waukesha Chapter
  • 2014 – Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee
  • 2013 – Hope Center
  • 2012 – The Association for the Rights of Citizens with handicaps (ARCh)
  • 2011 – Waukesha County Park System – Minooka Park
  • 2010 – Hope Center
  • 2009 – The Women’s Center
  • 2008 – The Women’s Center
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