All News Releases

The Latino Academy of Workforce Development has received a $300,000 gift from Ascendium in support of its programming, which annually helps more than 2,500 residents in Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, and Rock counties obtain education and career training aligned with regional workforce needs.

Wisconsin employers struggle to find, attract, and keep qualified employees, especially in skilled labor occupations where individuals need specialized training for in-demand jobs.

Ascendium has released its 2024 Education Philanthropy Report, Shaping Our Future. The report details how, in collaboration with our partners, we worked toward shaping a better future for learners, as well as their families, their communities, and our national economy and society. It includes information about our investmen...

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, faces persistently low college completion rates among learners from low-income backgrounds, with a Wisconsin Policy Forum report estimating that only 15% of the city’s high school graduates earn a postsecondary degree within six years. At the same time, nearly two-thirds of jobs in Wisconsin that pay $...

Ascendium has gifted Good Neighbor Grants to 40 nonprofits in the various communities where our employees live and work. Each nonprofit will receive a $25,000 grant to fund essential community projects, such as educational initiatives and support services for low-income families. Totaling $1 million, these grants will ensur...

Wisconsin’s postsecondary institutions increasingly recognize the critical role that legal resources play in supporting student success. Founded on the belief that the law is for everyone, Lawyers for Learners connects learners with free, confidential legal help tailored to their unique situations. This initiative highlight...

As the demand for workers with postsecondary education or workforce training experience continues to grow, the nonprofit organization Fair Opportunity Project (Fair Opp) is stepping up to ensure that all learners, particularly those from first-generation and low-income backgrounds, have the tools they need to succeed — whet...

Many individuals in our community, especially those who are unemployed, underemployed, or formerly incarcerated, face significant barriers to improving their skills and securing stable, well-paying jobs. These barriers contribute to a persistent cycle of poverty and limited opportunities, hindering both personal and communi...

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, student interest in public policy has skyrocketed in recent years. To cater to students’ desire to make the world a better place through public policy, the La Follette School of Public Affairs launched an undergraduate public policy certificate program in 2019. In the five years since...

Ascendium has released its 2023 Education Philanthropy Report, From Learning to Action. The report looks back on Ascendium’s philanthropy during another year in which we demonstrated our commitment to “learning while doing” through our grantmaking. We continued building evidence on which practices and models can spark susta...