Agricultural News
Corporations Support National FFA Organizations to the Tune of $16.2 Million in 2012
Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:43:32 CST
Corporate and individual contributions to the National FFA Foundation in 2012 to support national FFA programs and agricultural education climbed to more than $16.2 million.
Corporate support this year exceeded the $15.8 million donated in 2011 and $15.6 million in 2010. Individual giving also rose to $558,000, up from $475,000 a year ago and $292,000 two years ago.
Pfizer Animal Health gave $1.27 million to FFA this year to link veterinarians in local communities with FFA members planning careers in animal health. Other million-dollar corporate contributors were CSX Transportation and RFD Communications, which operates RFD-TV and Rural TV. Monsanto provided more than $890,000 to support national student leadership conferences, educational awards, awareness campaigns and more.
And Cargill and General Mills committed more than a half-million dollars to fund the creation of a new food science and safety curriculum for agriculture students.
"Financially backing FFA and agricultural education creates critical educational opportunities for our students as they grow and learn about the science, business and technology of agriculture," said National FFA Foundation executive director Rob Cooper. "Corporate and individual donations help ensure our members will become leaders with core skills necessary to meet world needs for food, fiber and renewable energy."
Individuals also stepped up to support FFA in 2012. A group of eight people who advise FFA in matters concerning individual giving created a pool of donations to serve as matching-fund incentives and encourage others to support FFA. The group will give more than $312,000 over the next three years and each new donation to FFA of $1,000 to $100,000 will be matched by the group.
And Nebraska business owner and former FFA member Ron Grapes established a major endowment that will provide grants for FFA members to use and complete their required supervised agricultural experience, marking the first time in the 85-year history of FFA that an endowment was established to support the organization's SAE program.
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