General Use Grants Awarded for 2020
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Nora Nolden, Communications Consultant
[email protected] or (651) 245-6804
Compeer Financial Awards $240K in General Use Grants
45 Grants Awarded to Organizations in Compeer Territory
Sun Prairie, Wis., (January 29, 2020) – Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 45 General Use Grants, totaling $240,547. General Use Grants fund initiatives and organizations whose work enriches agriculture and rural America, aligning with Compeer Financial’s mission.
These grants will directly impact the lives of 494,804 people and will touch 1.7 million lives.
Since the program was established in 2018, the Fund has awarded General Use Grants to 167 community organizations, totaling over $916,000. The Fund will offer this grant again in May 2020 to provide funding for summer 2020.
“The General Use Grant Program impacts the communities where Compeer Financial clients and team members live and work, and embodies our commitment to enriching agriculture and rural America,” said Karen Schieler, Senior Corporate Giving Specialist. “Many of the groups supported with this grant offering will have a direct impact on farmers, promote agriculture in a positive way, or support local food insecurity initiatives. This grant is integral to our organization as part of our commitment to the farmers and communities we serve.”
The 45 organizations in Compeer Financial’s territory receiving support from the General Use Grant Program, include:
Illinois
Adams County Farm Bureau Foundation – purchasing consumables for Ag in the Classroom program
C.W. Avery Family YMCA – purchasing soil, organic materials, garden tools, irrigation, seeds, plants, fencing, mulch and containers, and an agriculture-based field trip
Colonel George J. Iles Elementary School – creating and implementing series of working mini farms or gardens at each grade level on campus and a weather station
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership of Illinois – meal packing event and transportation costs
IL Agri-Women, Inc. – securing speakers for sessions at Nurturing Entrepreneurial Women in Illinois agriculture workshops
Illinois Valley Community College – purchasing a thermal cycler, electrophoresis chambers and a gel imager
LaSalle County Farm Bureau Foundation – creating agricultural-based kits for Ag in the Classroom program
Midwest Food Bank, NFP – rain guard trailer seals for loading dock doors
Nutrients for Life Foundation – Illinois fertilizer and environment education – Phase II
Rebuilding Together Henry County – providing home repairs, wheel chair ramps and fire safety equipment homeowners
Western Illinois Museum – personnel, equipment, visuals and programming to gather, preserve, share and celebrate the history and traditions of family farms in McDonough County
Windy City Harvest – providing nutritious meals through the Better Health Initiative
Illinois and Minnesota
Ag Health and Safety Alliance – Gear Up for Ag Health and Safety program: ag safety and health education in Illinois and Minnesota, one project per state
Minnesota
Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation – improving mental health access and care in rural communities through virtual psychology
Alden-Conger Supermileage – building and updating cars for competitions
City of Elmore – installing a new emergency warning siren
Farm-City Hub Club – promoting grain bin and farm safety
Frogtown Farm – providing tours and age-appropriate activities on the farm for middle and high schools and youth organizations
Great River Greening – Greater Minnesota Silvopasture Restoration Project
Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest - Greater Mankato – support for Career Readiness Pathway Model in rural communities program
Loaves and Fishes of Hennepin – purchasing a refrigerated straight truck
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota – replacing a dishwasher at the Adrian site and a refrigerator and freezer at the Lakefield site
Minneapolis Farmers Market – purchasing new garbage, recycling, compost and organic bins for the entire market site
Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation – offering a comprehensive training program on farm stress and mental health to members of the organization, community and business leaders
Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center Farmamerica – obtaining the traveling exhibit To MyPlate and Beyond
MQHA Foundation – MQHA Boot Camp
Ney Nature Center – agricultural-related hands-on action projects for students from rural communities in the Compeer Financial service area
Second Harvest North Central Food Bank – purchasing a refrigerated truck
South Central College N. Mankato Campus Foundation – purchasing drones with accessories, a corn plant nutrient deficiency model and sets of career training cards
YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Camp St. Croix – year-round high tunnel garden program
Wisconsin
Baraboo School District – a new defibrillator for the school district
Board of Regents of University of Wisconsin System – adapting and updating AgVentures Grain Marketing curriculum into a relevant format for use in-person, standalone educational videos and online course
Brandon Community Food Pantry – new shelving
Dairy Girl Network – Stronger TogetHer – behavioral and mental health programming
Downtown Beaver Dam, Inc. – entrepreneur class series grants
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin – repairing a lift gate on a semi-trailer truck
Fondy Food Pantry, Inc. – a new straddle stacker
GROW – purchasing magnifying glasses, a produce scale, clip boards and other teaching materials for lessons and farm field trips
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership -Wisconsin – hunger banquet and transportation to and from Leadership in Action service project locations
Indianhead Community Action Agency – Rural Entrepreneur Technical Assistance Program
Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance – educational events and local research studies into groundwater quality
Living Hope Food Pantry – a walk-in refrigerator and freezer
Operation HELP – Farmers market and food harvest vouchers for low income families
Savanna Institute – the Agroforestry Apprentice Program
Stockbridge Grows Garden Club – raised gardens and a greenhouse
About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of education, youth engagement, rural development and community enrichment, agricultural advocacy and development, and cooperative initiatives. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $21.4 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.
Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial.
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