Demonstrating the importance of rural communities, the South Dakota Agricultural Foundation has opened its Building Rural Communities Grant applications and Ag Innovators Youth Education Grant.
The BRC grant program is open to any 4-H club or FFA/FCCLA chapter in South Dakota. Applicants should have a community project in mind that needs a facelift or improvement and plan for student participation, which is mandatory. Funding is scored on criteria such as community and student involvement, accomplishment of education and project goals, justification of community need, and supporting documentation including a detailed budget.
Basic grants to be used for community improvement projects are limited to $750 per project, while safety grants are limited to $200 per project. Applications, which can be found here, are due by Nov. 10, 2022.
Last year, BRC grants totaling $3,150.00 were awarded to five grantees:
- Avon Sweet Clovers 4-H Club
- Dell Rapids FCCLA
- Hitchock-Tulare FFA
- Lake County 4-H Club
- Tyndall Clever Clovers 4-H Club
The AI grant program aims to help meet today’s ever-changing agricultural education needs. $25,000 will be awarded in grants from $500 to $10,000. Projects should be inclusive, collaborative, and resourceful while addressing an education need or opportunity. The application of the projects should consider innovation, effectiveness, equity, and sustainability. To be eligible, applicants must be a public, nonprofit organization.
In 2021, nine AI Youth Education grants were awarded totaling $25,620.00. The recipients were:
- BIG Idea Competition
- Central Plains Dairy Foundation
- Ground Works & SD Ag in the Classroom
- Hutchinson County 4-H Leaders Association
- Lower Brule Research
- Mitchell Technical Institute
- Community Youth & Involved Center
- SD Ag and Rural Leadership
- SD FFA Foundation Inc
»Related: CHS Foundation ag teacher grants applications are now open
