Emergency First Responder Grant

Well-equipped and protected emergency first responders play a vital role in critical situations in rural communities. Their ability to have the tools needed while responding to a crisis and be personally protected while doing do is essential. Many times,these responders sacrifice their personal time, volunteering to serve and answer calls for assistance from their neighbors and other communities.

Grant dollars are intended to help cover the cost of the necessary equipment to respond in various emergency situations and to ensure the life-safety of the responders. Well-qualified applicants should showcase how this equipment will help them respond to critical situations and/or aid in the recruitment and retention of volunteers to serve their community in this capacity. Ensuring our first responders are prepared to answer calls for help supports Compeer Financial’s vision of creating a world where agriculture and rural communities are dynamic, collaborative and thriving.

Grant Area Descriptions
Essential Response Equipment: Equipment needed to effectively respond to incidents, including hand and extraction tools, fire suppression tools, fire response, medical equipment and others.
Responder Life-Safety Need: Equipment needed to protect and support responders when serving such as communication equipment and protection gear.

Qualifications
Qualified Applicants must:
Be a rural volunteer fire, rescue or ambulance department
Be located in or providing direct services in our 144-county territory

Grant Cycle:
Compeer Giving is committed to serving our territory, therefore past recipients may be limited on when they can apply again.

Recipients of the 2024 grant will be qualified to apply again in 2027.
Recipients of the 2025 grant will be qualified to apply again in 2028.

Grant Details
Applications are open April 15 and are due by May 31.
Grants are for up to $7,500
Awards must be spent during the current calendar year
Organizations must submit a valid Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (W9)
Applicants will be informed of their grant status six weeks after the deadline
Reporting will be due by January 1, failing to complete reporting may impact future eligibility

Out of Scope
Funding is not available for all grant requests. Compeer Giving recognizes the needs are vast.

Specifically for this grant opportunity, areas that are not in scope include: building projects and renovations, purchase or fundraising for vehicles and responder training courses and equipment. Specialized search and rescue teams are able to apply, but priority will be given to requests for standard response tools. Additionally, this program is not open to emergency management departments, paid or volunteer law enforcement agencies. Awarded dollars are not allowed to be used for deficits already incurred.

At this time, we are no longer offering the department collaboration grant. Individual departments can apply through this grant program.