Farm Credit of the Virginias Awards $100,000 in Grants through Charitable Contributions Fund
Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV), a lending cooperative that serves Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, announced the association would award $100,000 in grants to eligible charitable organizations through the FCV Charitable Contributions Fund. The following organizations were awarded funding in 2022 to support their efforts and expenses:
- A Farm Less Ordinary – Growing materials and equipment (Loudoun County, VA)
- Central Virginia Farm Workers Initiative – Seasonal worker health education and resources (Nelson County, VA)
- Craig County High School Agriculture Program – The Craig County Land Lab (Craig County, VA)
- Healthy Harvest Community Garden – Resources to expand community impact (Halifax County, VA)
- OurSpace World – Good Earth Therapy/WoodBox Farm Food Sovereignty Project (Prince George’s County, MD)
- Ride With Pride – Resources to support equine-assisted therapeutic horsemanship program (Augusta County, VA)
- Rotary Club of Rocky Mount – ‘Moo’ Crew Program (Franklin County, VA)
- The New Ag School – Think Outside Program (Loudoun County, VA)
- Valley Career and Technical Center Agriculture – Livestock ultrasound machine (Augusta County, VA)
- Verona Community Food Pantry – Milk purchase and distribution (Augusta County, VA)
- Wythe County Extension – Virginia Beef Leadership Institute (Wythe County, VA)
- West Virginia National Guard Foundation, Inc. – Patriot Guardens (Kanawha County, WV)
The FCV Charitable Contributions Fund was established as a means for the association to engage with and build stronger partnerships with organizations that support farmers and families in the rural communities they serve. The grant program offers two sizes of funding opportunities which eligible organizations were encouraged to apply for based on need and scope of project. Applications were accepted for grants to fund smaller projects (under $5,000) and larger initiatives (under $25,000).
Funding opportunities were considered for charitable organizations that are located within the association's 96-county territory or that serve communities where FCV conducts business. Non-profit groups and organizations were eligible to apply, however individuals and private farms were not considered. Grant applications for the first funding cycle were accepted August 1, 2022 through September 15, 2022, in which 71 total applications were received and reviewed.
Don Reese, Chairperson of the FCV Board of Directors, said, "As a cooperative, one principle that guides our decision making is concern for our community. While our primary focus is the needs of our customer-owners, the association also seeks to make a positive impact in the rural communities we serve. The FCV Charitable Contributions Fund allows us to do just that. The board is pleased with the community support and engagement we have already received from this program and we look forward to seeing each project come to fruition."
Brad Cornelius, CEO of Farm Credit of the Virginias, said, “FCV has a long-standing commitment to supporting organizations in agriculture and our communities through contributions to grow and support the industry and our rural communities. The FCV Charitable Contributions Fund provides us an opportunity to build upon that commitment and provide support to even more organizations and projects that meet this mission. We look forward to seeing the longstanding impact these funds will make in our rural communities through the projects and initiatives they support.”
Applications for the next round of funding through the FCV Charitable Contributions Fund will be available in spring 2023. Applicants are encouraged to visit the association's website for timely updates related to the FCV Charitable Contributions Fund: http://yr2.gmbot.net/charitable-contributions-fund
About Farm Credit of the Virginias
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $2 billion dollars in financing to more than 11,000 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland. Farm Credit is a cooperative capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural homeowners and businesses that borrow from them. In fact, as part of a nationwide network they are the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States and have been for over 100 years. Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and for facilitating and sharing knowledge and resources through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center. For more information, visit www.FarmCreditofVirginias.com.