Macomb Community College awarded $4.7 million for programs to boost college completion and address local employers’ talent needs

Funding from Ballmer Group and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to support work in student success, K-12 relationships and mobility workforce strategy

Macomb Community College has been awarded $4.7 million from Ballmer Group and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation as part of its work through the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3). The funding is part of more than $30 million committed by Ballmer Group and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to provide support for the next three years to the D3C3 initiative, a partnership with seven Southeast Michigan community colleges to ensure individuals have equitable educational opportunities and graduate with high-value credentials or degrees that lead to good-paying, in-demand jobs with local employers.

“We are grateful for the investment from Ballmer Group and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in Macomb Community College’s efforts to eliminate barriers students face in achieving their educational and career objectives,” said James O. Sawyer IV, president, Macomb Community College. “Macomb’s work through D3C3 is at the heart of the college’s mission of transforming lives and communities through the power of education.”

Macomb’s work through the collaborative is focused on student success, expanding a pilot program of student success coaches in which students not only increase their grade point averages but persistence in progressing through their course of study; developing deeper K-12 relationships to build awareness and connect students to educational and career possibilities from an early age, and collaborating on a regional mobility workforce strategy.

“D3C3 is about transforming our talent pipeline through innovative partnerships with local community colleges that are uniquely positioned to help students enter the workforce with the qualifications employers need,” said Sandy K. Baruah, president and chief executive officer of the chamber. “Ballmer Group and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s generous support speaks to the value of this initiative and importance of collaborative and job-focused education that will benefit employers, families and the region.”

As part of D3C3, Macomb and the six other community college partners are also developing regional strategies to collectively address inequitable systems as well as executing institutionally specific plans to create systemic change at their institutions to increase equitable access and enrollment for high school students, and align academic programs to promising career paths. Joining Macomb in the collaborative are Henry Ford College, Monroe County Community College, Oakland Community College, Schoolcraft College, Washtenaw Community College and Wayne County Community College District.

“Students facing barriers to degree attainment deserve access to family-sustaining careers," said Kylee Mitchell Wells, Ballmer Group’s Southeast Michigan executive director. "This partnership is designed to open new doors and create smoother pathways from education to career success, closing equity gaps across our region."

“Community colleges are the largest and one of most important talent development assets in Southeast Michigan. Skilled talent is directly linked to economic growth and regional prosperity,” said David Egner, president and chief executive officer of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “The Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) is a large-scale, strategic injection of investment in our regional community college system that has the potential to make meaningful and lasting change. We are thrilled to partner with the community college leaders, Ballmer Group, and the Detroit Regional Chamber, to envision, and now officially launch, D3C3.” 

D3C3 developed out of the chamber’s Detroit Regional Talent Compact, a 10-year equity-driven initiative to increase the region's postsecondary attainment rate to 60% and reduce the racial equity gap by half by 2030 – the same “60 by 30” goal later adopted by the State of Michigan.

Photo: (From left) David Egner, president and chief executive officer of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation; James O. Sawyer IV, president, Macomb Community College, and Kayla Roney-Smith, portfolio manager, Ballmer Group, at the announcement of more than $30 million funding for the Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative initiative.

About Macomb Community College

Macomb Community College (www.macomb.edu) is about transforming lives and communities through the power of education, enrichment and economic development. Macomb grants the largest number of associate degrees in Michigan and is the largest community college in the state. The college provides programming for youth through seniors, including early college for high school students, university transfer and career preparation programs, workforce education, continuing education and certification, and a wide range of enrichment opportunities encompassing arts, culture and lifelong learning.

About the Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative
The Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) is a regional initiative that elevates the role of community colleges in increasing equitable access to educational opportunities, boosting graduation rates, and bolstering the regional college-to-career pipeline. It is part of the Detroit Drives Degrees collective impact program of the Detroit Regional Chamber designed to increase postsecondary attainment in Michigan to 60% and reduce the racial equity attainment gap by half by 2030. Through D3C3, seven community colleges are being funded to implement college-level, systemic strategies to create lasting improvements for students and employers. Learn more at detroitchamber.com/d3c3.

About Ballmer Group

Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities. We focus on multiple impact areas and systems that can impact economic mobility - such as early learning, K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice - and we support leaders and organizations that focus on undoing systemic racism and the barriers it has created. Ballmer Group is both a national and regional funder – we have a presence and invest deeply in southeast Michigan, Washington state, and Los Angeles County. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org. 

About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect the devotion of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his beloved Buffalo Bills NFL team. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson provided that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. Based in Detroit, the Foundation began with a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.

Media Contact: Sean M. Patrick, 586.445.7271, patricks28@macomb.edu