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Giving Opportunities

Please consider donating online to one of our funds

Continuing Studies supports the mission of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea by providing access to educational resources to nontraditional students, and lifelong learners in the community. Under the leadership of the Vice Provost for Lifelong Learning and Dean of Continuing Studies, the Division provides continuing education programming and collaborates with other continuing education units across the campus.

Continuing Studies has several goals and needs that can only be met through private contributions. Many gift and naming opportunities have been identified. Please explore the giving opportunities below. Your generous gift to Continuing Studies helps provide the resources necessary to keep the Wisconsin Idea alive and thriving.

Why Give?

Your generous gift to Continuing Studies helps provide the resources necessary to keep the Wisconsin Idea alive and thriving.

Continuing Studies’ Mission

To advocate for and engage lifelong learners through high-quality and innovative programs and services.

Questions?

For more information, contact Troy Oleck, development director at 608-263-3313 or email Troy.Oleck@wisc.edu.

Our funds

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Adult and Nontraditional Student Scholarships Fund

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Continuing Studies has been instrumental in opening doors to many thousands of adult learners through Wisconsin, the nation, and the globe. ACSSS staff provide adults with an extensive array of services, unusual for a single office: career counseling, workshops and group programs, academic advising, admissions to the university, financial assistance, and updated online resources and assistance. ACSSS is proud to distribute more than $70,000 in financial support to returning adult students, single parents, and other nontraditional students.

Please consider making a gift to the Adult Student Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to returning adult students working toward degree completion. Contributions to this fund will be applied to the areas of greatest need.

Donate to the Adult and Nontraditional Student Scholarships Fund 

Annual Fund

Overhead shot of Bascom Hall on the UW–Madison campus

Make the largest impact with your gift by giving to the Continuing Studies’ Annual Fund. This fund provides an annual source of support to meet the most immediate needs of the division in providing a breadth of educational programs for the community. Your donation will be leveraged by additional resources and targeted to work on the division’s strategic priorities.

Donate to the Annual Fund 

Arts and Humanities Fund

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Arts and Humanities programs enable people to explore new interests, develop skills and enrich their lives. The Arts and Humanities fund supports Continuing Studies’ languages and humanities programming. Activities supported by this fund include, but are not limited to, payment of program registration/fees for participants with financial need, support of direct program costs as deemed necessary to keep registration fees competitive and affordable, and program development and/or marketing costs.

Donate to the Arts and Humanities Fund 

Badger Precollege

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Badger Precollege is an immersive college program for students completing grades 9-12. Participants in the program immerse themselves in campus life and gain valuable experience in a dynamic and challenging learning environment, all while interacting with UW–Madison faculty.

Our goal is to provide all interested, qualified students the opportunity to attend Badger Precollege . Your gift supports need-based scholarships for students for whom cost is a barrier.

Donate to the Badger Precollege Fund 

Badger Precollege Academically Advanced Youth Fund

Katie Effertz, WCATY staff member, poses with students who have been hand painting.

Badger Precollege offers an array of day and residential academic summer programs for academically advanced students finishing grades 1–12. This fund supports ongoing engagement and academic challenges in a broad spectrum of disciplines.

Donate to the Badger Precollege Academically Advanced Youth Fund 

Facilitating by Heart Fund

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Started in 2002, Facilitating by Heart is a 5-part series for those who are responsible for facilitating work groups. It provides a unique learning community for people from a range of organizations — including nonprofits — to enhance their skills in working with conflict, listening deeply, asking facilitative questions, honoring different learning patterns, making decisions that “stick,” and designing outcome-based agendas.

Donate to the Facilitating by Heart Fund 

Leadership Fund

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This fund supports a wide range of programming for the professional development of Wisconsin’s managers and leaders in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. The Mid-Level Manager Certificate is a seven-class series that helps new and aspiring leaders develop the skills to effectively lead people and teams. Other programs include the Servant Leadership Certificate, the Project Management Certificate, Managing Organizational Change, The Art of Conflict Transformation and A Coach Approach to Work Performance Feedback. The Leadership, Management & Workplace Skills unit of Continuing Studies offers over 100 programs per year.

Donate to the Leadership Fund 

Odyssey Beyond Bars Fund

Incarcerated Odyssey Beyond Bars participant sitting in a prison classroom

This fund supports Odyssey’s academic programming and opportunities for learners in Wisconsin prisons. Learn more about Odyssey Beyond Bars.

For questions about ways you can contribute money and time to the UW Odyssey Project, please contact Jenny Pressman at jenny.pressman@wisc.edu or 608-287-8216.

Donate to the Odyssey Beyond Bars Fund 

Odyssey Family Fund, Friends of the

Happy participants of the Odyssey and Odyssey Junior programs

This fund supports Odyssey Junior, tech access for students, helps families with basic living expenses and unanticipated emergencies and funds Odyssey’s greatest needs.

For questions about ways you can contribute money and time to the UW Odyssey Project, please contact Jenny Pressman at jenny.pressman@wisc.edu or 608-287-8216.

Donate to the Odyssey Family Fund 

Odyssey Future Fund

Happy Odyssey graduate Brian Benford poses next to Bucky Badger cardboard cutoff wearing cap and gown

This endowment fund supports Odyssey’s adult and youth academic programs, helping to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability.

For questions about ways you can contribute money and time to the UW Odyssey Project, please contact Jenny Pressman at jenny.pressman@wisc.edu or 608-287-8216.

Donate to the Odyssey Future Fund 

Odyssey Project Fund

An Odyssey student reading from the Odyssey Oracle, a month journal that publishes student's written work

This fund supports academic programming, including tuition, textbooks and other expenses associated with Onward Odyssey and the foundational Odyssey course.

For questions about ways you can contribute money and time to the UW Odyssey Project, please contact Jenny Pressman at jenny.pressman@wisc.edu or 608-287-8216.

Donate to the Odyssey Project Fund 

PLATO Education Fund

Odyssey Project Graduation ceremony 2022 showing student (at left) and student services coordinator (at right) shaking hands.

PLATO (Participatory Learning and Teaching Organization) is a self-directed, volunteer-led, nonprofit organization serving more than 1,400 lifelong learners living in and around Dane County.

The PLATO Education Fund was established in 2012 to provide financial assistance to low-income, marginalized adult students pursuing a college education, and to support educational opportunities for learners of all ages through local community organizations.

Many PLATO members have benefited from access to educational opportunities throughout their lives. By supporting the PLATO Education Fund, members demonstrate their commitment to extending these benefits to others who otherwise would not have the resources needed to participate in these opportunities. Donations to the PLATO Education Fund are tax deductible. Please give today.

Donate to the PLATO Education Fund

Professional Development Fund

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The Professional Development fund is for Continuing Studies’ professional development programming. Through classes, noncredit certificate programs, workshops, and conferences, Continuing Studies helps professionals hone their skills, earn professional credits and stay current on the latest research and best practices in their field. Activities supported by this fund include, but are not limited to, payment of program registration/fees for participants with financial need, support of direct program costs as deemed necessary to keep registration fees competitive and affordable and program development and/or marketing costs.

Donate to the Professional Development Fund 

Summer Music Clinic

Student musicians play cellos.

Started in 1929, the Summer Music Clinic is valued as one of the oldest pre-college music outreach programs in the country. Junior high and high school music students participate in a week of creative skill-building and performances in band, orchestra, choir, musical theatre and jazz ensemble. Concert groups rehearse throughout the week and family and friends are invited to the final concerts. Classes are designed to help polish students’ ensemble and individual performance skills with a variety of music-related topics and techniques.

Donate to the Summer Music Clinic Fund