This past academic year was truly unlike any other we have experienced. It resulted in the largest number of scholarship applicants we have ever received. In response we awarded more scholarships than ever before, totaling more than $1.2 million through scholarships alone.
We also saw an increased need for emergency grant support due to the unforeseen obstacles students faced. We disbursed more than $89,000 to students though emergency grants.
Read Fall 2020 Recipient Stories Read Spring 2021 Recipient Stories
Patrick Flanagan was Program Director and taught in the Interior Design Program at MATC for 30 years, retiring in 2006. He taught earlier at Fox Valley Tech in Appleton for 3 years prior to returning to the UW for graduate school and his subsequent employment at MATC.
Patrick says, “Education was a family value for as long as I can remember, so I knew that if I were able, I would focus any gifts on education. Although I have two degrees from the UW, Madison College was my life for 30 years, so a gift to the Madison College Foundation has the most meaning for me.”
With his partner, Patrick attended the “first ever Rainbow Scholarship Dinner fundraiser” in May 2018. His expectation was that the event would be like many other fundraisers they had attended, with a cocktail hour, dinner, sometimes long-winded speakers, and an opportunity to donate more than the price of the tickets by participating in the silent auction. What he didn’t expect was the impact those speakers would have on him.
Joy Matthews spoke first as the representative of QBE Insurance in Sun Prairie, whose PRIDE employee group along with the QBE Foundation endowed the Rainbow Scholarship with a gift of $20,000. QBE added to their initial gift in both 2019 and 2020. Patrick was moved by Joy’s initiative and determination in securing the funds to endow a scholarship at Madison College.
Listening next to the stories of the three student speakers, Patrick realized he had no idea of the challenges LGBT students were still facing in 2018, challenges that directly impacted their ability to get an education. Their stories of commitment and perseverance stayed with him, and he decided to delay a planned 2019 contribution to the Madison College Foundation for the Interior Design program in order to first provide additional funds for the Rainbow Scholarship.
Patrick explains that in 2019 he was expecting to make his first required minimum distribution (RMD) from an IRA he had been contributing to since the early 1980s. The RMD was fully taxable as income, and it was income he really didn’t need. He was aware that a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from the IRA could be made in place of an RMD, avoiding any tax liability and going directly to the Madison College Foundation. He offers the following encouragement: “I have suffered more pain with the paper ups and downs of the financial markets over the last 20 years. The QCD is painless!”
Celebrating Pride: Supporting the Rainbow Scholarship for LGBTQ Students
Retired faculty member, Patrick Flanagan realized he had no idea of the challenges LGBT students were still facing in 2018 — challenges that directly impacted their ability to get an education. Their stories of commitment and perseverance stayed with him. Read more here and consider a gift to celebrate Pride month.
Story written by Mary Pulliam
Donate to the Rainbow Scholarship
Madison College Among Four Community and Technical Colleges in Wisconsin Receiving Educational Grants
Madison, Wis. (June 8, 2021) – The Agriculture and Rural Initiative, Compeer Financial’s donor advised fund, has granted $825,000 to community and technical colleges across the cooperative’s 144-county territory, including $50,000 to Madison College. As announced in January, the organization has committed $1.9 million in grants and scholarships over the next five years with the goal of further developing agriculture’s workforce. This announcement represents the first of three rounds of grants being presented.
“Because Compeer clients often list workforce development among their highest concerns, our board agreed that vocational agriculture education should be a high priority for the fund,” said Greg Nelson, a Compeer Financial Director. “Our partners in higher education provide opportunities for young adults in rural communities every day, and we hope this support will enhance those training programs to prepare them for a successful future in agriculture.”
Madison College is one of four community and technical colleges in Wisconsin receiving these grant dollars. Madison College’s Agriculture Equipment Technology program will use the grant for equipment & technology, student recruitment & outreach. This includes support for equipment updates and additions, and student recruitment to expand enrollment.
Many of the grants help to enhance the hands-on learning and real-world experiences offered to agriculture students at these institutions.
These grants will directly impact the lives of students studying agriculture and agriculture related fields and help to enhance the curriculum offered by faculty members and instructors.
The colleges were selected as partners based on their agricultural education offerings, agriculture workforce development and geographic impact.
The Agriculture and Rural Initiative was created by the Compeer Financial Board of Directors in 2019 to make signature investments in programs and projects that directly address the needs of farmers and others who work in agriculture.
“Community and Technical colleges provide one-of-a-kind educational opportunities, which are focused on the needs and careers in those communities,” said Nelson, of Spring Valley, Wis., “These grants are part of Compeer’s commitment to champion rural, by supporting our clients and communities, creating sustainable and long-term success in the industry.”
Compeer Financial Media Contact:
Nora Nolden, Communications Consultant: nora.nolden@compeer.com or (651) 245-6804
