NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Every day, more than 1,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer—a life-changing moment for families. Recently, Steve Radke, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation conducted a satellite media tour in partnership with D S Simon Media to discuss how the organization’s commitment to the cause, specifically, how its childhood cancer scholarship program is helping survivors and siblings pursue their dreams through higher education.
On Dec. 3, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, announced its continued support of those affected by childhood cancer with a $500,000 donation toward higher education for childhood cancer survivors and childhood cancer siblings. As part of the company’s 2025 Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program, 25 childhood cancer survivors and 25 childhood cancer siblings will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship, with the option to renew for a second year for a total of up to $10,000 per student.
“Studies show that 60% of families lose significant household income and are hit with financial hardship as a result of a childhood cancer diagnosis,” said Steve Radke, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “Each year, it’s an honor to provide some relief to these families and alleviate part of the financial burden tied to higher education, but the real joy is being able to see these students looking forward to their future and the brighter moments they have ahead them.”
Since the program’s inception in 2017, more than 320 scholarships have been awarded to children undergoing treatment, survivors and siblings of those who have been affected by childhood cancer, totaling $3 million. The Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program is one of several initiatives that the Northwestern Mutual Foundation commits to as part of its ongoing mission to the childhood cancer cause.
“For over a decade, it has been the Foundation’s mission to help find better treatments and cures for childhood cancer, while supporting families undergoing treatment and survivors living with long-term effects of treatment,” said Radke. “Part of that includes celebrating the ‘goldeNMoments’ and breakthroughs along the way, like survivors and siblings affected by childhood cancer pursuing their aspirations through higher education.”
Applications for the 2025-26 school year scholarship program are now being accepted through Feb. 3, 2025, unlocking an additional $500,000 in student scholarships.
The Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program is administered through Scholarship America, an organization dedicated to developing scholarship solutions for student success. Northwestern Mutual helps identify the criteria Scholarship America uses to select each year’s recipients, including the student’s essay, family income level, grade point average and geographic location. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate studies and students must be a childhood cancer survivor or sibling of someone who had or has childhood cancer. For more information about the Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program and to apply, visit https://northwesternmutual-foundation.com/scholarships/.
Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual’s Childhood Cancer Program has been committed to accelerating the search for better treatments and cures for childhood cancer while supporting families undergoing treatment and survivors living with long-term effects. To date, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, has funded more than 700,000 hours of research to accelerate the search for better treatments and cures for childhood cancer and contributed more than $60 million to the cause overall. To learn more about the company’s commitment to childhood cancer, visit the Northwestern Mutual Foundation's website here.
About Northwestern Mutual Foundation
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given more than $500 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. It accomplishes this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Its efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making its hometown of Milwaukee a great destination. Visit Northwestern Mutual Foundation to learn more.
About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With more than $627 billion of total assets being managed across the company's institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, nearly $36 billion in revenues, and $2.3 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 111 on the 2023 FORTUNE 500.
Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.
1Includes investments and separate account assets of Northwestern Mutual as well as retail investment client assets held or managed by Northwestern Mutual.
About D S Simon Media:
The firm is well known as a leader in the satellite media tour industry and produces tours from its studio and multiple control rooms at its New York headquarters. Clients include top brands in healthcare, technology, travel, financial services, consumer goods, entertainment, retail and non-profits. Established in 1986 the firm has won more than 100 industry awards.
About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of Northwestern Mutual Foundation.
Dante Muccigrosso
Director of Media Integration & Client Reporting
E: dantem@dssimon.com
C: 973.524.0104
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/67f9a5ef-5b98-406b-94a3-64797536bd4d