Almost $34,000 donated to 38 nonprofits after Ascendium matched volunteer hours with donations to the organizations where employees volunteered.
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A Culture of Giving
While our education philanthropy is national in scope, our community giving efforts focus on supporting the areas where our employees live and work. Because we are based in Madison, Wisconsin, we support nonprofits in the Madison area, in particular. We also support nonprofits in other areas where we have remote employees, such as in Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
We typically provide funds to nonprofits to directly support the services they provide to the public. This helps them launch innovative new programs or expand existing programs so they can have an even greater impact on the community they serve.
In the Madison area, we have listened to local nonprofits and learned about several trends they have seen, including increased demand for their services caused by shifting demographics. Examples include the gifts we made to Literacy Network to support the expansion of their literacy instruction programs and Fair Opportunity Project to provide more learners with the guidance and resources they need to achieve their education and career goals.
Madison’s emergence as a technology hub for the Midwest, fueled in part by federal programs, is another trend we are watching closely. We want to ensure learners from low-income backgrounds have access to the STEM education and training programs they need to benefit from the anticipated economic growth in the STEM fields. For example, we recently collaborated with Black Men Coalition to expand their education and skill development offerings, which include free online professional certificate programs by eCornell and other providers.
Our employees play a direct role in our community giving efforts. They share a passion for working together to serve our communities, donating their time, talent, and support through Ascendium Cares, our employee giving program.
Ascendium employees volunteering throughout 2024.
Here are some highlights from Ascendium and its employees’ year in giving.
$175,000 to the Black Men Coalition of Dane County to provide free online professional certificate programs to learners from low-income backgrounds.
$200,000 to Fair Opportunity Project to expand their reach, providing more students with the guidance and resources they need to achieve their education and career goals and removing economic barriers that could hinder their success.
$500,000 to the University of Wisconsin’s La Follette School of Public Affairs to educate the next generation of public policy leaders.
$375,000 to Literacy Network to expand and strengthen its programs over the next three years. The expanded programming will include digital literacy instruction as well as new English as a Second Language class and tutoring offerings that meet student scheduling needs.
Over 1,900 school supplies donated in our annual Collect for Kids Supply Drive.
$175,000 to the Black Men Coalition of Dane County to provide free online professional certificate programs to learners from low-income backgrounds.
$200,000 to Fair Opportunity Project to expand their reach, providing more students with the guidance and resources they need to achieve their education and career goals and removing economic barriers that could hinder their success.
$500,000 to the University of Wisconsin’s La Follette School of Public Affairs to educate the next generation of public policy leaders.
$375,000 to Literacy Network to expand and strengthen its programs over the next three years. The expanded programming will include digital literacy instruction as well as new English as a Second Language class and tutoring offerings that meet student scheduling needs.
$1 Million
donated to 40 local nonprofits through our annual Good Neighbor Grant program, in which employees nominate and choose grant recipients.
6,163 Hours
volunteered in our communities through paid volunteer time off and volunteering outside of work hours.
Almost $34,000 donated to 38 nonprofits after Ascendium matched volunteer hours with donations to the organizations where employees volunteered.
Over 1,900 school supplies donated in our annual Collect for Kids Supply Drive.
Ascendium and its employees believe that strengthening our communities makes us all stronger. As we reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025, we continue to embrace the potential we all have to positively impact the places where we live and work.