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$210K Awarded in General Use Grants

For Immediate Release

 

Contact:

Jill Carlson, Public Relations Strategist

[email protected]

C:(309) 502-2805

 

Karen Schieler, Manager of Corporate Giving

[email protected]

O: 309-268-0254

 

                                                                                

Compeer Financial Awards $210K in General Use Grants

41 Grants Awarded to Community Organizations 

 

Sun Prairie, Wis., (January 31, 2025)  Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 41 General Use Grants, totaling $212,150. These grants fund initiatives and organizations in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin whose work aligns with Compeer Financial’s mission by enriching agriculture and rural America.

The funding will directly impact the lives of 141,713 people. Grant recipients fall under one of the following categories:

  • Education: educating young, beginning or future farmers. 
  • Environment: maintaining or improving the quality of the rural environment. 
  • Technology: supporting the advancement and utilization of technology for the benefit of farmers and rural communities. 
  • Quality of Life: programs or initiatives that enhance the quality of life for farmers and rural communities.

 

Since 2018, the Fund for Rural America has awarded 519 grants, totaling $3 million in local support. 

“Compeer Financial is proud to give back to the communities where our team members live and work through the Fund for Rural America,” said Karen Schieler, Compeer Financial manager of corporate giving. “The General Use Grants directly contribute to the health and vitality of rural America. From food security to STEM education to rural mental health programs, these worthy projects and programs will make a difference for years to come.”

The organizations receiving support from the General Use Grant Program include:

Illinois

University of Illinois, 4-H Drone Program: STEM education and careers for Unit 8

CORE of McLean: McLean Community Garden

DuPage County Farm Bureau, Grow Your Own Food: starter plants for student food production education

Eureka FFA Alumni, Eureka FFA Farm: building or purchasing a 4-row planter for farm plot

Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education: Illinois Junior MANRRS Immersion Event

Farmers Rising: mobile shade infrastructure for grazing livestock

Freeport Regional Healthcare Foundation: digital imaging enhancements for Mount Carroll

Girl Scouts of Central Illinois: rural youth mental health outreach

Junior Achievement of the Heartland: agriculture career engagement in rural Illinois

Seneca Area Food Bank: freezers and tables

The Greater Chicago Food Depository: hydroponics program

Utica Public Library District: hydroponic kits for "How Does Your Garden Grow" program

 

Minnesota

 

Albert Lea FFA: food stand improvements

Big Ideas, Inc., Mobile Learning Lab Drone and Simulators: teaching technological advancements in ag

Camphill Village Minnesota: barn renovations

Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota: Ag Education Day

Community Partners of Faribault County: Bricelyn Food Pantry

Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio Inc: culturally appropriate nutrition and food access

Cooperative Development Fund of CDS: business succession education

Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center: Red Wing Peer Support Network Drop-in Center

Hutchinson Independent School Dist. #423: school farm equipment 

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota/LSS Meals: kitchen supplies

Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. Foundation: ag literacy resources

Minnesota Foundation for Agriculture: rural medicine educational programming

Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America: career exploring program in rural areas

Second Harvest Heartland: improve and add equipment charging stations

Second Harvest Northland: maximize hunger relief capacity with semi-automatic pallet wrapper

Southwest Minnesota State University, Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program: outreach and recruitment for leadership development program

United Way of 1,000 Lakes, Flavors of Our Community: provide ethnic and culturally specific foods

 

 

Wisconsin

 

CESA 3: equipment for agriculture, food and natural resources careers education

Church Health Services, Inc.: dental and mental health services 

Columbus FFA Alumni: electrical, plumbing, heating and structural repairs to school greenhouse

Couleecap, Inc.: technical assistance for small businesses

Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership: Wisconsin Youth Leadership Seminar 

Marbleseed: addressing language access gap with resource materials

Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, Inc. dba Entrepreneur Fund: business consultant and technical assistance for small businesses

Scenic Bluffs Health Care Inc.: completing renovations and equipping a mobile dental unit

School District of Wisconsin Dells - Brew Farm: barn fans and new barn doors

Shepherds Ministries: essential equipment for student success 

The Swap and Shop Inc.: chest freezer and display cooler

University of Wisconsin-Platteville: precision agriculture equipment for data analysis 

 

Applications will open in May 2025 for summer 2025 Compeer Financial General Use Grants. 

For more information, visit Compeer.com/giving-back

 

 

 

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 agriculture 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 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 $33.1 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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