General Use Grants Awarded
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Nora Nolden, Communications Consultant
[email protected] or (651) 245-6804
Compeer Financial Awards $204.6K in General Use Grants
32 Grants Awarded to Organizations in Compeer Territory
Sun Prairie, Wis., (January 25, 2023) – Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 32 General Use Grants, totaling $204,650. 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 1.2 million people. Forty percent will support agriculture education initiatives; and 24% address food insecurity efforts focused on quality of life.
Since the program was established in 2018, the Fund has awarded 367 General Use Grants, totaling over $2.1 million. The Fund will offer this grant again in May 2023 to provide funding for summer 2023.
“The General Use Grant program impacts the communities where Compeer clients and team members live and work,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “The grants embody our commitment to enriching agriculture and rural America, and to the farmers and communities we serve.”
The 32 organizations receiving support from the General Use Grant Program throughout Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, include:
Illinois
LaSalle County Farm Bureau Foundation
Agricultural accurate story boards for the 13 libraries within LaSalle County.
Cook County Farm Bureau
Mailable soil kits for schools, grades 4-8.
Nutrients for Life Foundation
Fertilizer fun boxes: plant and soil science resources for classrooms in Compeer Financial's territory.
Livingston County Extension Council
Packaging a little bit of hope: supplies and equipment shipping for meal packing event.
Midwest Food Bank- Morton
Conversion to perpetual inventory system, handheld barcode scanners and a bar code label printer.
Eastern Illinois Foodbank
Volunteer equipment.
Children's Discovery Museum Foundation
Maintenance and programming for food and agriculture exhibits.
Cornerstone Community Wellness, Inc.
Royal SuperMart: reimagining the rural grocery store, building remodel and equipment.
Stephenson County Farm Bureau
Provide students with the opportunity to study embryology in their classroom.
Tri District Ambulance Service
Classroom education and technology improvements: purchasing a smart board.
Minnesota
Lakewood Health System
The Staples Area Farmers Market pavilion project: constructing a permanent farmer's market pavilion.
Youth Farm
General Operating support for Youth urban farming education programming.
FM360
Dissemination and utilization of farmers market metrics in Minnesota.
Christian Crossings, Inc.
Community greenhouse and gardens irrigation installation.
Home and Away Ministries DBA Ruby's Pantry
Ruby's Pantry: purchasing a used forklift for the North Branch, Minn. warehouse.
Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank
Food bank equipment enhancement.
LSS of Minnesota/ Mankato sites
LSS Meals keeping Mankato area high-risk seniors well-nourished and independent.
Big Ideas, Inc.
Generator needed to operate second mobile learning lab.
Junior Achievement North - Greater Mankato Area
Junior Achievement programs in rural elementary schools.
Farmamerica - MN Ag Interpretive Center
Four-day job shadowing adventure for high schoolers.
Sharing Our Roots
Supporting Black, Indigenous, People of Color and immigrant farmers with land access and market opportunities.
Sanford Health
EKG acquisition for improved cardiac response.
Wisconsin
American Red Cross Wisconsin Region
Purchasing an amicus machine for Madison blood processing center.
Baraboo Children's Museum
Tractor exhibit.
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Inc.
Classroom materials and digital license fees to bring Junior Achievement programming to rural students in the Compeer Financial territory
REAP Food Group
Providing free listings to small, emerging farms and businesses that are BIPOC-owned in the Farm Fresh Atlas of Southern Wisconsin, and hosting educational programming to broaden the demand for local products.
The Gathering Source, Inc.
Replacement of aging freezer and cooler.
Vernon Economic Development Association
Purchasing local produce and dairy products from small local farms for food pantries and meal sites.
Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation
Purchase clinic microscopes.
Indianhead Community Action Agency
Purchasing produce to provide fresh, vitamin rich foods to low-income seniors in their monthly supplemental meal packages.
Feed My People Food Bank
Purchase a used stand-up powered forklift.
Green County Development Corporation
Green County pop-up shop program.
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 $28.1 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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