Latest Gift Will Support Growing National Education Non-Profit’s Impact in Southeast Michigan
(January 31, 2024 – New York, NY) NAF, a national education non-profit that supports high school students’ efforts to be future-ready, is thrilled to be the recipient of a new, $5.6 million, three-year grant from Ballmer Group for growing its impact in Southeast Michigan.
Ballmer Group, which is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, and funds leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities, is a current NAF partner. Since 2017, Ballmer Group has invested in NAF’s core work and strategic plan priorities, beginning with a $15 million grant, and now helping fund NAF’s expansion in Southeast Michigan to amplify engagement in the Detroit community. With this support, NAF added 16 new academies, took part in stakeholder cultivation, and created a comprehensive, multi-year implementation plan for the Tri-County area.
Ballmer Group’s commitment to NAF has reached more than $37 million to date – unlocking valuable possibilities and advancing a nearly 45-year mission.
As a result, NAF’s vast network has secured work-based learning offerings for the next generation of leaders to help them prepare for their next steps, further the professional development of educators across the country, and more.
To deepen efforts, this grant will enable NAF to expand top-tier, work-based, and outcomes-driven education to high school students across Southeast Michigan. With this $5.6 million investment, NAF will be able to bolster career readiness systems and policies, strengthen NAF academy quality, and increase access to work-based learning and career preparation.
“We are so thankful for the incredible support from Ballmer Group, in growing NAF’s impact in Southeast Michigan,” said Lisa Dughi, Chief Executive Officer of NAF. “This gift will meaningfully contribute to the work of the coalition of stakeholders invested in career and technical education and post-secondary readiness in the Tri-County Area, positioning local high school students to excel in college, pursue the career paths of their choosing, and achieve sustained financial stability.”
“Ballmer Group is proud to support NAF’s work in Southeast Michigan to increase career readiness for high school students,” said Temeca Simpson, Senior Portfolio Manager for Ballmer Group Southeast Michigan. “NAF is a great partner in the region and builds opportunity for students to explore professional pathways, which is integral to students’ future economic mobility.”
About NAF:
NAF is a national education non-profit that brings schools and businesses together to better prepare students of all backgrounds. Since 1980, NAF has led a movement for immersive, career-focused teaching and work-based learning. With the support of NAF community-based advisory boards, schools connect with the workforce to fuel shared progress—from creating culturally responsive curriculum and paid internship opportunities, to fostering innovation and building future-ready businesses. NAF helps students explore career options, create a plan for the future, and take part in hands-on, work-based learning unlike anything traditional public education systems can offer. NAF puts students on a path to achieving their full potential.
NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences; and support programs of study that are aligned with the National Career Clusters Framework. During the 2022-23 school year, over 112,000 students attended over 600 NAF academies across 35 states and territories. In 2022, NAF academies reported 99% of seniors graduated with 88% of graduates planning to go to college. www.naf.org
About Ballmer Group:
Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities. They focus on multiple impact areas and systems that can impact economic mobility – such as early learning, K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice – and they support leaders and organizations that focus on undoing systemic racism and the barriers it has created. Ballmer Group is both a national and regional funder – they have a presence and invest deeply in southeast Michigan, Washington state, and Los Angeles County. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org.