$190K Awarded in General Use Grants
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Nora Nolden, Senior Communications Consultant
[email protected] or (651) 245-6804
Compeer Financial Awards $190K in General Use Grants
34 Grants Awarded to Organizations in Compeer Territory
Sun Prairie, Wis., (February 2, 2024) – Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 34 General Use Grants, totaling $190,975. 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 594,000 people, with one quarter of the funding having a direct impact on farmers across the grant’s categories of education, environment, technology or quality of life. In addition, half of the grants will support rural vitality through educational experiences or local healthcare.
This is the twelfth cycle of the grant, which has awarded more than $2.5 million and impacted the lives of over six million people since inception. The Fund will offer this grant again in May 2024 to provide funding for summer 2024.
“The Fund is proud to provide support to the communities in which our team members live and work,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “The General Use Grants directly contribute to the health and vibrancy of rural America. These innovative ideas and work make a lasting difference.”
The 34 organizations receiving support from the General Use Grant Program throughout Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, include:
Illinois
Farmers Rising: livestock handling and corral system for regenerative livestock incubator and education farm
LaSalle County Farm Bureau Foundation: Take-n-Make agriculture kits
Monmouth College: Rural education initiatives educational farm curriculum equipment
Northern Illinois Food Bank: distribution center improvement
Quincy Children’s Museum: outreach experience for hands-on programming
River Bend Food Reservoir: pallet wrap machine for safe food transportation
Two Rivers Council Foundation: additional storage capacity at food pantry
Western Illinois University School of Agriculture: Feeding Home First snack bags and agriculture education
Minnesota
Brown County 4-H Livestock Committee: sheep and swine scale, and rabbit and poultry judging tables
Clean River Partners: education and workshops on carbon markets
The Conservation Technology Information Center: field days for new and underserved farmers
eQuality – Pathways to Potential: composting and waste reduction equipment
Farmamerica – Minnesota Agricultural Interpretative Center: creating accessible and inclusive learning experiences curriculum
Junior Achievement North: financial literacy resources for programs in rural schools
Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation: mental health and first aid kits
Renewing the Countryside II: mobilizing community-powered on-farm labor support
Riverwood Healthcare Center: Medical equipment for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram procedures
2B Continued: mental health and wellness education, advocacy and outreach
Urban Roots MN: agricultural education support for St. Paul youth
Women’s Environmental Institute at Amador Hill: farmer incubator equity project
Youth Eco Solutions: mailable soil kits for youth
Youth Farm: operating support for youth urban farming education programming
Wisconsin
Amery School District: F.A.R.M Educational Trail and Cleanup Project
Food, Faith and Farming Network: Southwest Wisconsin Seed Money Initiative
Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project: development of the Upper Fox Local Food and Farms Guide
Good Neighbor Clinic of Sauk Prairie: refrigerator purchase for medication
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership: youth leadership seminar
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin: financial literacy and work readiness programming
Meals on Wheels of Sheboygan County, Inc.: garden irrigation
Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, Inc.: small business consultation and technical support
Northwood Technical College Foundation: equipment for medical laboratory technician program
Rusk County Land Conservation and Development Department: equipment for no-till program
UW-Madison Extension, Trempealeau County: upgrades and expansion to community garden
Vernon Economic Development Association, Inc.: food production equipment
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 adjusted net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agricultural advocacy and development, agriculture education, cooperative initiatives, rural development and community enrichment; and youth engagement. 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 $30.4 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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