April 2010 Access Update - Kresge Grant

NCAN Receives $980,000 Grant for College Access and Success
Support from The Kresge Foundation will implement new strategic plan

The National College Access Network (NCAN) announces a grant from The Kresge Foundation for $980,000 over three years for program support and growth capital.  Through this grant opportunity, NCAN will pursue its strategic plan goals to build the capacity of its local program members so that all students, especially those that are underrepresented in higher education, have the opportunity and support to succeed in college.  

“The NCAN Board of Directors is grateful to the Kresge Foundation for this tremendous opportunity to implement our new strategic plan,” says Kim Mazzuca, Chair of the NCAN Board of Directors and President of the Marin Education Fund. She continues, “At a time when our President has summoned our nation to regain the lead in creating college graduates, we are committed to helping our member organizations roll-out successful strategies and collaborations across the country and to achieve breakthrough results.”

This grant will support NCAN in achieving the goals laid out in its ambitious new strategic plan launched earlier this year.  Specifically, the funding will provide resources to develop a process to manage school-based outreach and intervention programs and to provide growth capital for operations and member services such as diversity and equity seminars, dissemination of a “Research to Practice” newsletter and support of student success and college completion.  

“The Kresge Foundation believes that significantly increasing the U.S. college attainment rate is a national imperative, and that's why the programmatic focus of our education grantmaking is improving college access and success for underserved students,” says Caroline Altman Smith of The Kresge Foundation. She continues, “NCAN is well-positioned to continue playing a critical role in efforts to increase educational opportunity throughout the country, and we are delighted to support the organization as a funder and a member.”

The Kresge Foundation seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services and community development. Fostering greater access to and success in post-secondary education for low-income, minority and first-generation college students is the focus of Kresge’s Education grantmaking. In 2009, Kresge awarded more than $26 million in grants to support higher education in the United States and South Africa.