Compeer Financial Awards $228K in General Use Grants

Friday, July 22, 2022

The Fund for Rural America, Compeer Financial's corporate giving program, has awarded 34 General Use Grants, totaling $228,340. General Use Grants fund initiatives and organizations whose work enriches agriculture and rural America, aligning with Compeer Financial's mission.

In total, the 34 grants will directly impact the lives of over 828,000 people, including farmers, youth, high school students and people facing food insecurity.

Since the program was established in 2018, the Fund has awarded 335 General Use Grants, totaling over $1.9 million.

"The general use grants align with Compeer Financial's mission of serving the needs of our clients, agriculture and rural America," said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer. "The applicants found new and innovative ideas through which they will better the future of rural communities with these grants."

The following Wisconsin organizations in Compeer Financial's territory receiving support from the General Use Grant Program:

** Baraboo Children's Museum, Inc.: purchasing a milkable cow exhibit

** Boys & Girls Club of Dane County: Walworth County Summer Monthly Meal Distribution Project

** CESA 03: Hydroponic Growing System

** Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin: scissors lift

** Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project: developing a local Land Conservation Program

** GrassWorks Inc: coordinating outreach and implementing regenerative agriculture conservation education

** Jackson County Childcare Network: Farm to ECE Mobile Learning Lab

** Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance: supporting farmer-led conservation and supply chain collaboration

** Operation HELP: farmers market and food harvest vouchers

** REAP Food Group: supporting REAP's Farm Fresh Atlas, BIPOC farmers, and educational programs

** Rooted WI, Inc: infrastructure and capacity building for specialty crop farmers