Ex-CEO of Microsoft, L.A. Clippers owner donates $20 million to St. Paul nonprofit College Possible

[TexasTowelie]

A former Microsoft executive and current NBA owner has awarded $20 million to St. Paul-based College Possible, a national nonprofit that helps low-income students enroll and succeed in college.

The record-setting gift was announced by the Ballmer Group, founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, and will be dispensed over a 10-year period.

“It’s a really extraordinary gift. I can’t say enough how grateful we are,” said Beth Giese, College Possible’s senior director of national external relations. “What’s great about this is, it’s a lot of money and it’s unrestricted. That’s an exceptional and rare gift.”

College Possible has regional offices in six cities — Chicago, Milwaukee, Omaha, Philadelphia and Portland, Ore., as well as St. Paul — and assists 30,000 students each year. The nonprofit has an annual budget of about $12 million, according to tax filings.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/former-microsoft-ceo-la-clippers-owner-donates-20-milion-to-mn-based-college-possible/445869863/