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Ascendium Releases 2023 Education Philanthropy Report, From Learning to Action

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 sustainable improvements and seized new opportunities for action, all in service of helping more learners from low-income backgrounds achieve upward mobility. In total, we provided nearly $101 million in grant funding to over 80 partners nationwide in 2023.

Ascendium’s grantmaking strategy focuses on initiatives that catalyze change to postsecondary education and workforce training systems, which leads to improved education and workforce outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds. Our grant partners are integral to our strategy, carrying out the important work that helps us identify needed areas of innovation, test promising solutions, and foster conditions for scaling those solutions.

“Our decades of experience have taught us valuable lessons about the diverse paths learners from low-income backgrounds take to success, reinforcing the understanding that a one-size-fits-all approach is inadequate,” said Ascendium’s President, Chairman, & CEO Richard D. George in his opening message in the report. “The evidence our partners develop is critical to ensuring that providers are delivering the best possible education and training.”

About Ascendium

Ascendium Education Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping people reach the education and career goals that matter to them. Ascendium invests in initiatives designed to increase the number of learners from low-income backgrounds who complete postsecondary degrees, certificates and workforce training programs, with an emphasis on first-generation learners, incarcerated adults, rural community members, learners of color and veterans. Ascendium's work identifies, validates and expands best practices to promote large-scale change at the institutional, system and state levels, with the intention of elevating opportunity for all. For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org