Milwaukee Area Technical College Foundation Inc

Founded in 1979, the MATC Foundation is a nonprofit organization raising funds for:
-student scholarships (for specific programs or academic pathways e.g. STEM, Business, Human Service, Creative Arts, Healthcare, or Fire, Police, Nursing, Paralegal, Accounting, Dental Assistant, etc.; specific support for Healthcare Heroes, single parents, Promise program, DACA+, completion, equity, non-traditional workforce, more)
-emergency grants (digital divide, basic needs)
-MATC educational program innovations (Uniquely Abled Academy for CNC, Dual Enrollment Academy for HVAC, career exposure camps for 7-12 grade, Gap Year program, additional college student success supports - student advising, skills and retention coaches, capacity building, naming, industry lab or program expansions, location expansions, etc.)
We are happy to connect alumni and donors who give to support equity of opportunity to higher education.
We work with partners, foundations and corporations, or individuals to strengthen support for the workforce pipeline needs of the community.

Specific categories of goals for the college which MATC Foundation supports include:
1. Student Experience, Supports and Success
2. Retention and Strengthening Talent Pipeline with Relevant Skill Building, Program Innovation
3. Organizational Excellence and Environmental Sustainability
4. Equity and Community Impact
5. Building Partnerships and Collaboration

Student success can be achieved by:
-providing scholarship through developing donor interest and passion
-providing support for guided pathways for career interest development
-retention and completion initiatives
-addressing equity and achievement gaps with focused resources, supports
-employee development to positively impact results
-establishing a culture of giving and alumni participation to support future alumni
-assisting with job placement after college completion
-business and community engagement
-marketing to assist to make the case for giving now to impact student success, and for the future to continue positive results.

The MATC Foundation has existed since 1979 and has successfully raised funds to support college programs and students. This history has built year after year on our efforts.

As a college, we have been rethinking our systems to best serve our students. Our five-year Guided Pathways systems transformation has been a college-wide effort to build on best practices, reinvent student-facing systems for impact and efficiency, infrastructure improvements including technology upgrades, adding wraparound services, additional counseling student touch points and more. All departments including the MATC Foundation have been involved in this fundamental shift of how we work to build on current capabilities. Resources and personnel are dedicated to creating positive student outcomes.

Individual and industry-area student financial supports are necessary to provide scholarship for students who are struggling to realize their dream of completing a college education. The MATC Foundation is scaling up staff to continue to increase this impact. Historically, the Promise launch campaign was successful and the Promise endowment campaign along with other fundraising efforts should be well-positioned to help the college to meet student needs through philanthropic dollars.

Last year $1,190,000+ for scholarships was awarded to 1460 students and $173,424 was given to 672 students for emergency student assistance.

Although there have been increases, there is a great deal of unmet need and not every student who applies is eligible for scholarships for scholarships and emergency assistance. There is unmet need in every program at MATC. There is also a need to endow the MATC Promise providing last dollar student support after financial aid is applied for eligible new high school graduates and for returning adult students.

With workforce shortages, there is increasing interest from industry in doing more workforce, education infrastructure investment, program innovation and scholarship support to secure their future workforce in establishing the career pathway to technical fields and mid-skill, in-demand fields through partnerships with MATC Foundation.