The Pritzker Military Foundation (PMF) and its founder, Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), announced charitable gifts to the Marine Corps Association Foundation (MCA) to support a three-year pilot program to select ROTC schools, representing all branches of the military. The program will be administered by the MCA. A total of more than $800k is specifically designated for operating expenses of the PMF annual Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) merit awards and staff ride programs.
“ROTC enabled me to take my career to a new level by training me to make the transition from enlisted soldier to commissioned Army officer,” said Col. Pritzker (Ret.). “It’s an honor to give back to this vitally important program, provide support to the next generation of military leaders, and contribute to the valuable services of the Marine Corps Association.”
The program is invitation-only with participating schools already chosen for the entirety of the full three-year pilot; there is no open application or request process. MCA will receive $678,000 over three years for distribution to individual schools for cadet merit awards and cadre staff rides. An additional $132,500 will be provided to MCA for general operating and administrative expenses over the course of the pilot. PMF and MCA will work together to evaluate the applications and monitor the progress of recipients.
ROTC is a leadership training and development program that prepares full-time, college-enrolled students for service opportunities in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, and is currently offered at 1,700 colleges and universities. The Marine Corps Association is dedicated to enhancing the professional growth of Marines through staff rides, professional reading materials, and awards to recognize the achievements of Marines across the Corps. The PMF Program allows MCA to expand its reach to ROTC programs of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
“The Marine Corps Association appreciates the generous three-year grant from the Pritzker Military Foundation,” said Col Timothy Mundy, USMC (Ret), Vice President of MCA’s Foundation. “This partnership allows us to support ROTC students and programs, and we appreciate PMF’s support of our own programs. We are grateful to COL (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Ret) for the Pritzker Military Foundation’s partnership and commitment to MCA as we continue to enhance the professional military education of Marines and their families.”
The grant runs from September 1, 2024, to July 31, 2027. To learn more about the Pritzker Military Foundation grants, please visit https://www.pritzkermilitaryfoundation.org/our-grants/. The Pritzker Military Foundation is a private foundation that accepts applications by invitation only. There is no open application period.
About Pritzker Military Foundation
The Pritzker Military Foundation seeks to support the work of nonprofit organizations in preserving American military history, restoring historic military artifacts and making them accessible to the public, and providing services and essential resources to past and present service members in all branches of the United States Armed Forces. To learn more, visit www.pritzkermilitaryfoundation.org.
