Apollo Opportunity Foundation Awards $1 Million Grant to iJAG to Support Iowa’s Future Workforce
DES MOINES, Iowa (Sept. 3, 2025) — Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) is proud to announce that it will receive $1 million in grant funding over the next two years from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation.
iJAG’s mission is to empower youth with the skills and support they need to succeed in education, employment, and life. Thanks to the Apollo Opportunity Foundation’s transformative funding commitment, iJAG will be able to strengthen its programs across the state and help more than 11,000 students overcome barriers to a better future.
Apollo and Athene have been strong supporters of iJAG and its mission. In 2024, the Apollo Opportunity Foundation awarded a $250,000 grant to support iJAG’s programs and hosted a nonprofit leadership training in New York that was attended by iJAG leaders. That same year, Athene employees volunteered more than 330 hours to mentor students, participate in iJAG events, and lead financial literacy sessions.
The partnership was further strengthened by the addition of Sandy Stokley, Executive Vice President of Operations at Athene, to the iJAG Board of Directors in 2024. Stokley has brought strategic insight and energy to the organization’s mission and future growth.
iJAG’s Growth and Impact In just three years, iJAG has more than doubled its reach thanks to strong public-private partnerships. In 2022, iJAG operated 97 programs, which served 4,442 students. By the 2025–2026 school year, it will serve more than 11,000 students in 202 programs across Iowa, including post-graduation transition services.
“iJAG has been my foundation to paving a successful future,” said Lexi Vazquez, Class of 2025. “It helped me unlock my potential in a way no other program has.”
Earlier support from The Wellmark Foundation also played a critical role in launching iJAG’s expansion strategy and sharing the importance of the program and the impact it has on the students it serves.
“When businesses and nonprofits come together to focus on the good of the community, endless success can be accomplished. Apollo and Athene have proven themselves to be hands-on, purpose-driven partners committed to changing lives.” ~ Dr. Wendy Mihm-Herold, President and CEO of iJAG
“The Apollo Opportunity Foundation is proud to partner with iJAG to help create lasting pathways to success for young people across Iowa. By supporting financial literacy and career readiness initiatives, we are equipping students with the essential skills and resources they need to thrive in today’s workforce and build resilient futures. This partnership embodies AOF’s commitment to engaging our team in expanding opportunity and empowering the next generation to reach their full potential.” ~ Lauren Coape-Arnold, Executive Director of the Apollo Opportunity Foundation
Get Involved iJAG invites employers, donors, and community leaders to help shape Iowa’s future workforce. Whether through financial support, volunteering, or strategic partnerships, your involvement creates lasting impact. To learn more, contact iJAG or email info@ijag.org.
Apollo Opportunity Foundation (AOF) launched in 2022 to build on Apollo Global Management’s commitment to expanding opportunity across its workplace, marketplace, and the communities where it operates. AOF was launched with $100 million to invest in non-profit organizations working to advance economic prosperity across three key pillars: Career Education, Workforce Development, and Economic Empowerment. Leading with an employee-driven approach, AOF partners with organizations that are championed by Apollo employees to expand opportunity for all.
About Apollo
Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment-grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of June 30, 2025, Apollo had $840 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.
Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) is a statewide nonprofit 501c3 organization led by local and national public and private partnerships that include legislative groups, business executives, private donors, and community organizations. State affiliates are able to lead the high-impact delivery of the JAG Model across middle school, high school, out-of-school, and collegiate audiences. For the 2025-2026 school year, iJAG will operate 202 programs and serve more than 11,000 students in grades 6-12 and through post-graduation services. iJAG graduates 98.4% of its students, which is higher than the typical year-over-year average of 90% in Iowa. Additionally, 46.3% of iJAG alumni continue their education and 70% become employed, as compared to 41.2% and 57.7% respectively across the state (Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Iowa Department of Education). To learn more, visit iJAG.org.
About Athene Athene is the leading retirement services company with over $400 billion of total assets as of June 30, 2025, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products, and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit www.athene.com.