Cardinal Stritch University reported that their Mission Fuel program has been the recipient of the BizTimes Media 2020 Nonprofit Excellence Award for Social Enterprise.

The award is given to organizations that are exceptional when it comes to applying principles of social enterprise in operating as well as funding. 

Mission Fuel, which was launched in 2017, is a business accelerator model-driven to help nonprofit leadership teams with successful implementation in order to become more self-sufficient. 

“Cardinal Stritch University is honored to receive the BizTimes Media 2020 Nonprofit Excellence Award for Social Enterprise for our Mission Fuel program," said Stritch Interim President Dr. Dan Scholz. "Social enterprise has been at the heart of our university since the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi founded the institution in 1937. Mission Fuel is just one example of innovation at work at Stritch.”

The program has also helped individuals after the program has finished to go on to be very successful in their careers and future lives. 

"Mission Fuel was an important part of Cardinal Stritch University which has brought forth an extremely important development tool for all our community leaders during an important time when organizations and business are all adjusting to a new and more challenging economic environment," Gene Manzanet, Mission Fuel Board Chair said. 

The partnership of participating individuals with the work of Mission Fuel has made possible $8 million of investments that are being put into the Milwaukee community and its residents. 

One individual who participated in the program spoke highly about it. 

“Mission Fuel was a life-changing program that had transformed the way I approached my work. Through Mission Fuel, I was able to develop key leadership skills such as strategic planning and critical thinking. Mission Fuel had inspired me to further my education and pursue my MBA at Cardinal Stritch University,” Ger Thao stated.