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Grants available to elevate youth ag education in S.D.

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Agricultural Foundation (SDAF) announces that grant funding is now available through two of its grant programs:

• Building Rural Communities (BRC) grant program

• Ag Innovators (AI) Youth Education grant program



As school is back in session across the state and families get back into their routines again, the SD Ag Foundation encourages South Dakotans to start thinking about projects in their schools and communities that can empower future ag leaders and professionals.

These grants were developed to demonstrate the importance of rural communities and the value of organizations that work together to improve rural life.



“The purpose of the SD Ag Foundation’s grant efforts is to be a catalyst for innovation and change in our rural communities and in the ag industry in general.”

Greg Von Wald, SD Ag Foundation board member/ED of SD Skilled Workforce Advisory Council

The Building Rural Communities (BRC) and Ag Innovators (AI) grants are designed to support ongoing agriculture-related community and safety projects along with innovative ideas in youth agricultural education. There are a number of new as well as existing creative solutions offering agriculture-related programs to younger generations. These new programs will support and expand these solutions to be more inclusive, collaborative, and resourceful.

Any 4-H club, FFA or FCCLA chapter in South Dakota can apply for the Building Rural Communities grant. Two types of BRC grants are available. The basic grant is used for community improvement projects and is limited to $750 per project. The safety grant is used for projects that enhance public safety and is limited to $200 per project. Applications must be submitted or postmarked no later than Nov. 15, 2017. Grant awardees will be announced by the end of December.

The Ag Innovators grant is meant to encourage the development of creative solutions within agriculture-related innovation and leadership programs for youth. These solutions should address an educational need or opportunity in a more innovative, effective, equitable, or sustainable way than existing approaches. Applicants should be a public, nonprofit organization as defined by IRS Publication 78, or an organization or individual working with a verified fiscal sponsor. This is a $500-$10,000 grant opportunity, with priority given to proposals with project budget sizes that are of appropriate scale to the applicant’s capacity to execute the project.

Grant application forms and more information on the programs, including reporting requirements, are available at http://www.sdagfoundation.org.

–South Dakota Ag Foundation