Northwestern Mutual Foundation Invests Nearly $3.4 Million to Foster Thriving Neighborhoods and Educational Success

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 26, 2018 — Northwestern Mutual is dedicated to enhancing its headquarters in Milwaukee by providing its residents with access to quality health, educational and community resources. To further its commitment, the company, through its Foundation, today announced nearly $3.4 million in grants to nonprofits and organizations. The organizations receiving funding are committed to propelling Milwaukee toward a better future through community outreach and educational improvement.

Since 2013, the company has invested in and partnered with the Milwaukee neighborhoods of Amani, Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way to increase safety and build strong families and healthy and thriving youth. Many of the organizations receiving funding through this year’s neighborhoods grants, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Journey House, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin and more, share a mission to help local youth reach their goals.

“For our city to thrive, it’s so vital to provide the opportunities for our children and youth to be successful,” said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “It’s essential that we help support our communities with the means to achieve their dreams, and it starts with access to valuable community resources and foundational education.”

Operation DREAM Spotlight

New this year to funding is Operation DREAM, an organization that provides developmental opportunities for young men and their families through mentorship and work programs such as Operation WORK. The hands-on, incentive-based program offers the opportunity for young men to learn fundamental social and employment skills, understand the value of self-sufficiency and explore entrepreneurial opportunities in Milwaukee through internships and employment.

Those individuals who successfully complete the program obtain jobs throughout the city in various sectors, including law, nonprofit, environmental organizations and more. Last year, Operation WORK partnered with the City of Milwaukee to clean and further develop Pocket Parks, mini-parks that promote wellness through outdoor activities, including two in Amani and one in Metcalfe Park.

In the Milwaukee education system, Northwestern Mutual focuses on funding literacy programs that emphasize third-grade reading proficiency and best-in-class mentoring programs, partnering with six schools located in the Amani, Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way areas. In addition, the company aims to provide meaningful STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educational experiences to students to help shape both their technology proficiency and passion for related industries.

Milwaukee College Prep Spotlight

Among the organizations and schools that the Foundation supports is Milwaukee College Prep, a four-campus network of K-8 schools committed to eliminating the achievement gap to help children develop fundamental skills.

Milwaukee College Prep focuses heavily on literacy and reading fluency, especially in early primary grades, which starts with the intensive training of its instructors through a literacy coaching program. Following the 2016-17 school year, Milwaukee College Prep received five-star Department of Public Instruction (DPI) ratings for all of its eligible schools and reported a 96 percent on-time high school graduation rate among its alumni.

In connection to the Foundation’s neighborhoods work, Milwaukee College Prep serves students in the Metcalfe Park and Amani neighborhoods.

2018 Education Grant Recipients	2018 Neighborhood Grant Recipients
Alverno College	ACTS Community Development Corporation
Arts @ Large	Artists Working in Education
Auer Avenue Community School (United Way)	Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee	COA Youth & Family Centers
Carmen High School of Science & Technology	Data You Can Use
Center for Urban Teaching	Dominican Center for Women
City Year Milwaukee	Feeding America
COA Youth & Family Centers	Frank Zeidler Center for Public Discussion
College Possible	Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center
Cristo Rey Jesuit School	Institute for Community Peace
First Stage	Journey House
Golda Meir High School	Junior Achievement of Wisconsin
Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School	Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
Messmer High School	Metcalfe Park Community Bridges
Milwaukee Academy of Science	Milwaukee Christian Center
Milwaukee College Prep	Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Excellence	Operation DREAM
Milwaukee Public Library Foundation	Pathfinders
Milwaukee Public Schools	Pearls for Teen Girls
Milwaukee Succeeds	Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation
Next Door Foundation	Safe & Sound
Notre Dame Primary School	Sixteenth Street Community Health Center
Pathways High	Sojourner Family Peace Center
PAVE (Partners Advancing Values in Education)	The Parenting Network
Rocketship Education Wisconsin	Urban Economic Development Association of Milwaukee
Ronald Reagan High School	We Grow Greens
Schools That Can Milwaukee	Wisconsin Black Historical Society
SHARP Literacy	Wisconsin Voices
St. Joan Antida High School
Teach for America
Unity in Motion
YMCA of Metro Milwaukee

All grant recipients are required to show measurable impact and results of their programs.

About Northwestern Mutual Foundation

The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given more than $320 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company’s employees and financial representatives live and work. We accomplish this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Our efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making our hometown of Milwaukee a great destination. Visit Northwestern Mutual Foundation to learn more.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a distinctive, whole-picture planning approach, we empower our clients to make the most of every single day and plan for important moments in their future. We combine the expertise of our financial professionals with a personalized digital experience to help our clients navigate their financial lives every day. With $265.0 billion in assets, $28.1 billion in revenues, and $1.8 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to 4.5 million people who rely on us for life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, brokerage and advisory services, trust services, and discretionary portfolio management solutions. The company manages more than $125 billion of client assets through its wealth management and investment services. Northwestern Mutual ranks 104 on the 2018 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the “World’s Most Admired” life insurance companies in 2018.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a comprehensive approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, life insurance with long-term care benefits, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (fiduciary and fee-based financial planning services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance).

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.