Northwestern Mutual commits $1.6 million to All-In Milwaukee to strengthen academic opportunities for underrepresented youth

MILWAUKEE, June 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- All-In Milwaukee, a college completion and career placement program, is dedicated to strengthening education and career opportunities among talented yet underrepresented youth through financial, academic, social and emotional, and career readiness support. Today, the organization announced 68 scholarships have been awarded to high-performing diverse students in Milwaukee for the coming school year.

This year's scholars are All-In Milwaukee's second class of students selected from 22 Milwaukee-area high schools following the launch of the program in 2018, which supported 40 students. Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation and in partnership with its Diversity and Inclusion team, has announced a commitment of $1.6 million to All-In Milwaukee to fund its new Talent of the Future program over the next four years. This effort is emblematic of the company's focus on advancing change in Milwaukee and continued commitment to diversity and inclusion.

"Today, just eight percent of all Milwaukee students will earn both a high school diploma and a two or four year degree," said Allison Wagner, executive director, All-In Milwaukee. "With the support of companies like Northwestern Mutual, we're one step closer to closing the college graduation gap and continuing to provide our city with a highly skilled, diverse workforce."

The contribution will provide scholarships to more than 80 Milwaukee-area students in the next four years, the first 10 of which have been awarded for the upcoming school year. The students are also eligible for early career leadership development, mentorship and internship opportunities at Northwestern Mutual, with the ultimate goal of employment after college graduation to continue to build the talent pipeline.

"We strengthen our community when we come together to support the resources that address disparities in education and careers for students," said Amy Hanneman, vice president, diversity & inclusion, Northwestern Mutual. "Creating a path for these talented future leaders will boost Milwaukee's diverse talent population, helping us build a more inclusive environment for everyone."

All-In Milwaukee's program provides a comprehensive support system of financial aid and affordable university costs coupled with advising and career development assistance. This model is the first replication of the Wallin Education Partners, which has a 92 percent success rate of scholars earning their college degrees within six years (versus 12 percent among students from similar backgrounds nationwide).

"It is our hope that our new partnership will significantly impact the success of Milwaukee students in their academic and professional careers," said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "Milwaukee is our hometown – it's an honor to support the students here so that we can change lives for the better and build a strong pipeline of talent in the years to come." 

To address the growing needs of many scholars as a result of the global pandemic, All-In Milwaukee is accepting donations to provide emergency funding for housing, groceries, internet and other necessities. For information on how to donate and lessen the financial impact students are facing, visit allinmilwaukee.org/donate.

About All-In Milwaukee
Based off the 25 years of program success and a partnership with the Wallin Education Partners in Minneapolis, All-In Milwaukee is a college completion and career placement program that aims to address a pressing social justice and employment issue for the region.  All-In Milwaukee ensures underrepresented students complete college and matriculate into the Milwaukee workforce. The program ensures student success with last dollar scholarships, strong financial aid packages and ongoing advising, program and career development support. All-In Milwaukee works with university partners to drive the cost of college down and the levels of support up. For more information visit www.allinmilwaukee.org.

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 $380 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 people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a holistic planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With $290.3 billion in total assets, $29.9 billion in revenues, and $1.9 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.6 million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. The company manages more than $161 billion of investments owned by its clients and held or managed through its wealth management and investment services businesses. Northwestern Mutual ranks 102 on the 2020 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE^® as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2020. Northwestern Mutual also received the highest score among individual life insurance providers in the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Life Insurance Satisfaction Study.

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. 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).

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual