For those of you who gave last week during our $5 Truly Matters campaign, Thank you — truly. Your generosity is more than a donation; it is a lifeline of possibility for the people we serve.
Since 2018, when we opened our platform to help veterans, everything has evolved — except our unwavering belief that every person deserves to be seen for their skills.
To date, we’ve completed over 15,000 skills translations, conducted more than 8,000 interviews, and connected thousands of individuals to opportunity — without resumés, without barriers, without bias.
In 2024, we expanded this mission with the launch of Northern Compass Academy, offering career readiness tools and skills-first training. Over 100 candidates have already completed the modules — gaining clarity, confidence, and momentum for their future.
In 2025, we launched the ASCENDing Beyond Barriers Podcast, building on our earlier Veterans ASCEND and Founder Friday series. More than 170 stories have been shared — veterans, military spouses, industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers. We’ve celebrated victories, wiped tears, and amplified voices that too often go unheard.
And now, as we prepare for our next phase of impact, we are building the ASCEND HQ App — a digital HQ where AI-driven skills translation, career matching, mentorship, curated learning, and community come together to lift people higher than ever before.
Our Mission
Our mission is simple and powerful:
To empower every individual to turn their skills into purpose and their potential into progress.
We accomplish this through three pillars:
Advocacy for Skills-First Hiring – Shifting employers away from outdated filters to capability-based evaluation.
Access to Opportunity – Providing veterans, spouses, and underserved talent with tools, resources, and career pathways.
Community Building – Creating an ecosystem where talent, founders, employers, and partners grow and rise together.
Why This Work Matters
Traditional hiring practices leave millions behind.
- 40% of U.S. workers are underemployed
- 1 in 3 veterans faces underemployment after transition
- Military spouse unemployment remains above 20%
- Meanwhile, employers struggle to find reliable, skilled talent
A skills-first model bridges this gap — unlocking access, equity, and economic mobility for all.
Our Goals for 2026
With your support, by the end of 2026 we will:
- Empower 1,500+ individuals through Northern Compass Academy and the new ASCEND HQ App
- Facilitate 200+ career placements for veterans and military spouses
- Engage 50+ corporate and community partners committed to skills-first hiring
How You Can Make an Impact Today
Your support helps us:
- Expand free career readiness programs through Northern Compass Academy
- Grow the reach and storytelling impact of the ASCENDing Beyond Barriers Podcast
- Build and launch the ASCEND HQ App, a digital home that removes systemic hiring barriers
- Scale our skills-first solutions so employers can discover talent they’ve been missing
Whether through a $5 gift, a recurring donation, sponsorship, or partnership — every contribution fuels real, measurable change.
Donate to Support Our Mission
Your financial support — at any level — provides free career readiness services, drives technology development, veteran and spouse training pathways, and community programs that change lives.
https://givebutter.com/25givingtuesdayTAC
Together, We ASCEND
At The ASCEND Collective, we’re building more than careers — we’re building pathways to possibility. As we enter our next stage of growth, we invite you to walk alongside us as partners, champions, and advocates for a more inclusive future of work.
Potential deserves a pathway. Together, we build it.
Thank you.
