Ten rural community projects have received Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Foundation grants to improve safety and basic needs services. Nonprofit organizations submitted applications for the opportunity to receive grants of up to $15,000 and the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Foundation narrowed the list to three finalists and seven honorable mentions. Attendees at the 2024 Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Annual Meeting voted to award the first-, second- and third-place grants.
Rebuilding a grocery store
The first-place grant winner, Lane County Community Foundation, received $15,000 to help build a new grocery store in Dighton, Kan., after the county’s only supermarket was destroyed by fire.
“Just imagine the difficulties you, your family and your neighbors would face if your county suddenly didn’t have a grocery store,” says Casey Venters, executive director. “It’s a hardship that impacts the elderly and people on fixed incomes the most, and it quickly starts hurting the local economy.
“People from across our county are donating money to get our new store opened and keep it operating. The beauty of this solution is that over time, profits from the store will go into the Lane County Community Foundation’s general fund to help revitalize our community,” says Venters. “We’re thrilled to receive the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Foundation grant, which is another example of the exceptional collaboration that’s enabling us to build a community-based grocery store that will have longevity.”
Equipping a rescue team
Balaton (Minn.) Fire Department won the second-place grant for $10,000 and is using the funds to purchase a rescue trailer, enabling the team to keep its grain rescue and other gear preloaded and ready for emergency response.
“Like many small towns with volunteer fire departments, we have to make do with less space and equipment. When we get a call for help, we need to grab gear from throughout the firehouse and load it into the fire truck before we can head to the scene,” says Jared Hively, training officer.
“The new trailer means we’ll be able to respond faster. This will benefit our town and the surrounding agricultural communities because we know that in an emergency, seconds can turn into minutes, and minutes can turn into somebody’s life.”
Making a park accessible
Jamestown (N.D.) Parks and Recreation will use its third-place $5,000 grant to help build an all-abilities park and playground.
“We are creating a destination space near the heart of our downtown where people of all abilities can engage and learn from each other, which is an important part of building a strong community,” says Amy Walters, executive director. “Residents and visitors will enjoy the renovation.
“What’s even more exciting is the impact will extend well beyond today. We will be forming inclusive behaviors in our children that will shape how they grow into adults and become tomorrow’s leaders.”
More communities benefit
After receiving more than 60 applications from worthy nonprofit organizations for the rural community grants program, the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Foundation Board of Trustees increased the budget to enable the following honorable-mention finalists to each receive $2,500 grants to strengthen their communities.
- Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Delmar, Iowa, therapy dog at a rural school
- Cutting Fences Foundation, Laurel, Mont., adaptive equipment for farmers with injuries and disabilities
- Feeding Our Communities Partners, North Mankato, Minn., rural student hunger relief
- Graceville Fire Department, Graceville, Minn., grain bin extraction gear
- Grant Regional Health Center, Lancaster, Wis., EMT training for students
- Lil Chompers Childcare Center, Greenbush, Minn., rural community child care
- Richland Wilkin Emergency Food Pantry, Wahpeton, N.D., mobile food pantry vehicles
Working together for rural success
Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Seeds for Stewardship, a longstanding grants program that matches cooperative contributions with Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ funds, provides ongoing assistance to help communities thrive. Priority goes to requests that strengthen ag safety, farmer well-being, agriculture education and rural community vitality.
In 2024, 104 Seeds for Stewardship grants put $519,000 to work in towns across rural America. Member cooperatives and Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ ag retail locations can apply for matching funds to double their impact.
Check out the full Winter 2025 C magazine with this article and more.
