The Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association is the fundraising and gift-receiving organization for the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The foundation was created in 1945 and later merged with the alumni association to strengthen their potential for outreach. As a unified front, the organization is a development and financial partner for the school and is also responsible for alumni relations and engagement. Their primary mission is to encourage support for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its constituents and to provide opportunities for the school to grow its programs.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public land-grant university with a vibrant research program. With nearly 30,000 undergraduate students and more than 13,000 graduate and professional school students, the university is an NCAA Division 1, Big Ten school. It was in the top ten best public colleges in Forbes and U.S. News & World Reports in 2016 and was the largest producer of Peace Corps volunteers in 2017.