NGL corporate and employee gifts total over $150,000 for United Way of Dane County

Madison, Wis. (January 11, 2022) – National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to announce that its 2021 sponsorships and corporate gift combined with employees’ personal pledges and donations totaled over $150,000 to support United Way of Dane County.

“United Way of Dane County is a powerful community organizer that is known for bringing people together to work toward changing lives and making a measurable impact. Giving back to our community is woven into NGL’s legacy and I’m proud our team members continue to support United Way because it’s an important component of who we are as a company,” said Knut Olson, NGL President & CEO.

For more than 70 years NGL has proudly partnered with and supported United Way of Dane County. Funding to United Way of Dane County is focused on the areas of education, income, and health with the goals to help build a community where everyone can succeed in school, work and life.

In addition to NGL’s corporate donation of $75,000 and employee payroll deductions, employees generously donate through fundraising events. Each year, the NGL employee campaign incorporates a variety of activities to donate to and participate in. The virtual employee fundraisers included bingo, trivia nights, silent auction and a fitness challenge.

Olson continued, “This has been another unpredictable and challenging year. Unfortunately, the educational and economic disparities in Dane County continue to grow during this unprecedented time. I’m grateful to everyone who stepped up to help make our annual campaign a success not only for NGL but for our community. I would like to extend my appreciation to all of our team members who donated and volunteered for our United Way campaign, our Loaned Executive and the remarkable team at United Way that equips us with the resources and tools needed to organize and coordinate our campaign.”

About United Way of Dane County

United Way of Dane County engages the community, mobilizes volunteers and strengthens local nonprofits to achieve measurable results and change lives. To learn more, visit UnitedWayDaneCounty.org. 

About NGL

Established in 1909 National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is an insurance company headquartered in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products. Information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company.

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life.

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Exact Sciences Commits $500,000 to Urban League Black Business Hub

Company to be a foundational tenant in new facility

MADISON, Wis. – Dec. 9, 2021 – Exact Sciences today announced the company is committing $500,000 to support construction of the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub (The Hub) on the city’s south side. Exact Sciences also plans to lease space in the building to connect with job seekers and community organizations, adding the company’s name to a growing roster of public and private sector tenants at The Hub.

“Few organizations are as consistent and persistent as the Urban League when it comes to improving lives and creating economic opportunity,” said Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences. “The Hub will offer formal and informal programming, create new supply chain opportunities for area businesses, and give entrepreneurs a place to call home. We cannot wait to see it open.”

Scheduled to break ground in the coming weeks, The Hub fills an economic development void in the city by creating a place devoted to nurturing, accelerating, and supporting Black and other entrepreneurs of color. The 4-story, 76,000 square foot state-of-the-art center will include: retail and office spaces, co-working and meeting space, a rentable commercial kitchen, and business assistance and mentoring programs.

“The Hub ushers in a new era for Black and minority-owned business development in Madison,” said Dr. Ruben Anthony, Urban League of Greater Madison president and CEO. “It will be a vibrant cultural, business, and community site that invites people to come together to support new businesses and build greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities we all share.”

Equally important, The Hub will also transform opportunities for entrepreneurs by providing new funding sources via loans and grants underwritten by the Urban League of Greater Madison.

“When starting out, businesses need access to capital and help getting things off the ground,” said Anthony. “The Black Business Accelerator Program is a fund of over $1 million to provide grants and loans to help populations that are historically under-represented within Madison’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Exact Sciences is a longtime collaborator and supporter of the Urban League. Since 2018, the organizations have jointly operated a job training program which provides participants with career coaching, skills training, and hands-on experience to prepare them for roles within Exact Sciences’ laboratory and customer care teams. To date, more than 120 people have graduated from the program, with more than 80% receiving job offers.

Last month, the Urban League announced that it had $3 million remaining to raise by the end of the year to ensure construction can begin on time, and up to $8 million to eliminate the need for any loans to construct The Hub. With the commitment from Exact Sciences, the Urban League now has less than $1.9 million remaining to meet its goal of being able to begin construction before the ground freezes.

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Contacts:

Scott Larrivee Exact Sciences 608-287-9261 slarrivee@exactsciences.com

Dr. Ruben L. Anthony, Jr. Urban League of Greater Madison 608-729-1208 ranthony@ulgm.org

About Exact Sciences Corp.
A leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, Exact Sciences relentlessly pursues smarter solutions providing the clarity to take life-changing action, earlier. Building on the success of the Cologuard^® and Oncotype^® tests, Exact Sciences is investing in its product pipeline to take on some of the deadliest cancers and improve patient care. Exact Sciences unites visionary collaborators to help advance the fight against cancer. For more information, please visit the company’s website at  www.exactsciences.com, follow Exact Sciences on Twitter @ExactSciences, or find Exact Sciences on Facebook.

About Urban League of Greater Madison
The Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM) is part of a national movement dedicated to empowering Black and other under-served communities through programs & services, advocacy & civil rights, and community engagement activities. Our work is aimed at increasing opportunity and eliminating racial disparities in education, economic well-being, housing, and other quality of life factors.

Summit Donates $2 Million to the Center for Black Excellence

Largest donation in credit union’s 86-year history

MADISON, WIS. — Summit Credit Union, Wisconsin’s second largest credit union, today announced a $2 million donation to launch The Center for Black Excellence and Culture in South Madison. It is the first company to contribute to the multi-million-dollar effort and the largest gift in the history of the credit union founded in 1935.

“This Black-led, Black-inspired and Black-designed center aims to create a space that uplifts the Black Community and Black-owned businesses, especially those run by women,” said Kim Sponem, CEO and President. “The time is now for all of us to join the Black community to transform Madison from one of the worst cities for Blacks to live in, to one of the best.”

Sponem said Summit Credit Union strongly supports the center’s unique blend of building Black wealth in its planned incubator and co-working spaces, and its art events and community services spaces.

Summit Credit Union has dedicated itself to the financial wellness of its members for 86 years and has been firmly focused on women’s financial empowerment for 12 years.

The Center is slated to open in 2023. For more information, visit the Center for Black Excellence and Culture.

Endres Foundation Announces $203,500 in Fall Grants

In November, 2021, Endres Manufacturing Company (“EMC”) Foundation announced grants of $203,500 to 18 non-profits which provide essential area services.

The seven Trustees met online to consider 34 grant requests. Also, annual gifts of $1,000 to Big Brothers and Big Sisters, $1,000 to Artists on Main in Waunakee, and $15,000 to Dane Arts have been made. And finally, the final payment of $34,000 was made to the Youth Art Center to complete our $100,000 pledge, and $25,000 will be given to match grant decisions made by the UW Philanthropy Lab Class at their graduation celebration in December, a class mentored by the EMC Foundation.

The grant requests awarded are:
Aldo Leopold Nature Center – $25,000
Badger Childhood Cancer Network – $8,000
Bethel Horizons – $5,000
Family Services Madison – $10,000
First Tee – $5,000
Girls on the Run – $500
Horizon High School – $5,000
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin – $5,000
Little John’s Restaurants – $25,000
Lussier Community Center – $5,000
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens – $25,000
Madison Reading Project – $5,000
Prevent Blindness Wisconsin – $5,000
Ronald McDonald House – $5,000
Saint Patrick Catholic Church – $20,000
Second Harvest Food Bank – $5,000
Urban League Black Business Hub – $25,000
UW Odyssey Project – $20,000

The Endres Foundation grants cover a diverse array of focus areas: including education, arts, human services, environmental and health. If you plan to apply for one of the grant cycles in either May or November be aware that agencies in the local area are a priority and the Foundation seeks to support new programs or projects rather than funding the same agencies annually. We want you to both grow your base of donors and your impact on a positive future. $449.64 billion was given by U.S. philanthropists in 2019, and of that, Corporate giving grew by 13.4% to $21.09 billion, Foundation giving grew by 2.5% to $79.69 billion, and Individual giving grew to an all-time high of $309.66 billion. And it has continued to increase due to the needs encountered during COVID. We are fortunate to have caring, compassionate, and generous people giving our communities hope and optimism for a brighter future. Thank you!