Foundation Mission
The Farm Credit System Foundation's (Foundation) primary mission is to assist young, beginning, and small farmers and ranchers to thrive as businesspersons in their local and the global agricultural marketplaces. We provide financial support to organizations serving rural youth.
Grantmaking Focus
Our grants fund organizations rather than individuals. This leverages our funds by assisting more young, beginning and small farmers to be successful.
Latest News: FCS Foundation reaches $2.5 million in grants since its founding -- Download the 2007 Annual Report of Activities
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Foundation Announces New Grant Fund
A new grant fund is being offered as a result of a $1 million donation to the Foundation by CoBank, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. This contribution creates the Douglas D. Sims Fund for Rural Leadership. This money recognizes Mr. Sims’ 37 years of dedication to the Farm Credit System and rural America. Mr. Sims recently retired as CoBank’s Chief Executive Officer.
The CoBank donation is earmarked for programs that focus on the development of rural leaders, particularly those who are committed to making their communities better places to live. Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to organizations that meet the program criteria. Both matching and independent grants will be awarded, but special consideration will be given to matching or “seed money” grants that will leverage the benefit of the contribution from the Sims Fund.
Click here to view the news release
Download a grant application for the Douglas D. Sims Fund for Rural Leadership
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Foundation Profile
The Foundation was formed in 1991 through initial contributions by the banks in the Farm Credit System (FCS). The FCS is a national network of lending cooperatives that are owned by their farmer and rancher borrowers. The FCS has its origins in 1916 and receives its statutory authority from the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended.
The lenders that comprise the FCS, currently 99, have a public mission to provide competitive credit and related services to agricultural producers and related businesses that have a basis for credit. In addition, each lender is required by the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended, to establish programs for serving the needs of young, beginning, and small farmers and ranchers. The Foundation's role is to serve the needs of this group of producers on a national basis.
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to review the FCS' aggregate lending to this group.
The FCS and the Foundation use the following definitions to target their programs to these classes of farmers and ranchers:
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Young farmers and ranchers - less than 35 years old
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Beginning farmers and ranchers - less than 10 years management experience
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Small farmers and ranchers - less than $250,000 in annual agricultural sales
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for information on the Foundation's Board and Officers.
Click here
for information on Foundation grants.
Click here
to review the Foundation's year-end financial statements.
The FCS Foundation is a public foundation. If you are interested in helping young, beginning, and small farmers and ranchers to be successful, please consider sending a tax-deductible donation to the contact information below.
Contact Information
Please contact the Foundation about current and future programs and funding opportunities. Address your inquiries to John Hays, Vice President - National Programs.
Telephone: 202-879-0853
Fax: 202-626-8718
Postal address: 50 F Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20001
Email: General Information:
hays@fccouncil.com
, Website: mason@fccouncil.com