Ascendium and Good Neigbor Grants. 40 Organizations x $25,000 organizations x $25,000 = $1 million

Ascendium Employees Select 40 Nonprofits to Gift $1 Million Total in Good Neighbor Grants

December 10, 2024

Category:Community Giving

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 ensure a positive impact on the communities they serve.

Ascendium is a mission-driven nonprofit, with employees that often have strong connections to other nonprofits providing services to help people in their community. With their expertise in mind, employees are asked to research, nominate, and then vote for nonprofits to receive a Good Neighbor Grant. Each nominated nonprofit demonstrates exceptional dedication to community development, a proven track record of impactful work, and alignment with Ascendium’s mission to improve educational and workforce training outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds. This year, Ascendium employees participated at record levels of engagement and ultimately selected 28 Madison-area nonprofits and 12 nonprofits in locations where remote employees are based.

This year’s Good Neighbor Grants recipients include the following.

Madison-Area Recipients:

Remote Recipients:

The selected nonprofits encompass a wide range of causes, including education, child welfare, literacy and the arts, community development, as well as access to food and health resources. This diverse approach underscores Ascendium’s commitment to addressing multifaceted challenges within the communities where employees live and work.

“Deerfield Community Center is a welcoming environment for my family and me,” says Alyssa Dunsirn, an Ascendium employee whose family has benefited from and volunteered at the center for years. “This Good Neighbor Grant arrives at just the right time as they’ve been scrambling to figure out how to stretch their budget. They’re already making plans to put the $25,000 to good use within the community.”

Good Neighbor Grants are part of our employee giving program, Ascendium Cares. In its fourth year, Good Neighbor Grants are one of many opportunities at Ascendium for employees to engage with our mission to improve outcomes, particularly in education and workforce training, for learners from low-income backgrounds. These grants also direct much-needed financial resources to nonprofits that really resonate with employees and that are doing impactful work in their communities. Since 2021, 90 nonprofits have received Good Neighbor Grants for a total of $3.3 million in gifts from Ascendium.

“Ascendium is honored to support these impactful organizations,” said Brett Lindquist, Ascendium’s vice president of communications and community engagement. “The heart of the Good Neighbor Grants program is our employees’ connection to the communities where they live and work. We look forward to seeing how these 40 organizations continue strengthening our communities so that everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”

About Ascendium 

Ascendium Education Group is committed to making education and training beyond high school a reality for more people. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we fund initiatives across the U.S. that help learners from low-income backgrounds achieve upward mobility; provide student and employee success solutions to colleges and businesses; invest in education-focused innovations to improve learner outcomes; and provide information, tools and counseling to help millions of borrowers successfully repay their federal student loans. While we have many roles, we have one goal — elevating opportunity by creating a world where everyone can rise to their highest potential. To learn more, visit ascendiumeducation.org.

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