Working Here Fund Grants

Supporting rural America with grants that benefit agriculture education, young and beginning producers, hunger and nutrition, and rural disaster relief and essential services.

Grant Program Overview

We provide grants for projects and organizations that make a positive impact in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Funding options include up to $2,000 and up to $10,000 grants, which are awarded quarterly and semiannually respectively.

Focus Areas

Plant in Book

Ag Education

Plant in palm of hand. 

Young and Beginning Producers

Dinner plate 

Hunger and Nutrition

Medical Tent

Rural Disaster Relief and Essential Services

Funding Options

We offer two funding options through our Working Here Fund program — each with unique requirements to support our rural communities. Our focus areas include ag education, young and beginning producers, hunger and nutrition, rural disaster relief and essential services.

Typically, an organization is eligible to receive no more than one Working Here Fund grant within a 12-month period and no more than three grants within a five-year period.

 

$2,000 Grant Option

Current Deadline

March 31, 2023

June 30, 2023

Recipients Notified

April 2023 via letter

July 2023 via letter

Awarded

Quarterly

Semiannually

Application Requirements

  • Formal plan not required
  • Project has short-term goals (e.g., academic school year, hunger needs for current year)
  • What state will this organization's project take place?
  • Has this organization received a Farm Credit Working Here Fund grant in the last 12 months?
  • Have you received 3 grants in the last 5 years from either Farm Credit Services of America or Frontier Farm Credit?
  • Project name, location (include city and state) and county
  • Brief description of project
  • Primary positive impact of project:
    • Agriculture Education
    • Hunger and Nutrition
    • Young and Beginning Producers
    • Rural Disaster Relief/Essential Services
  • Community need project will meet
  • Project goals and anticipated results
  • Number of people positively impacted
  • Geographic area expected to be impacted (such as school, park, state, city, county)
  • Project schedule
  • Grant request amount
  • Funding from other sources
  • Project expenses grant funds would be used for (both item and dollar values required)
  • If you are awarded this grant, how do you want to receive the check?
  • How did you hear about the Working Here Fund grants?
  • Formal plan required (business/strategic plan, capital campaign plan, etc.)
  • Project has long-term goals (in years)
  • Project budget is $10,000+ (funding only available for up to 50% of total budget)
  • What state will this organization's project take place?
  • Has this organization received a Farm Credit Working Here Fund grant in the last 12 months?
  • Have you received 3 grants in the last 5 years from either Farm Credit Services of America or Frontier Farm Credit?
  • What is your town’s population size?
  • Have you already raised 25% of funding for this project?
  • Project name, location (include city and state) and county
  • Description of project
  • Primary positive impact of project:
    • Agriculture Education
    • Hunger and Nutrition
    • Young and Beginning Producers
    • Rural Disaster Relief/Essential Services
  • Community need project will meet
  • What is the population of the community in which the organization resides?
  • Long-term goals for this project and your community
  • Number of people positively impacted
  • Geographic area expected to be impacted (such as school, park, state, city, county)
  • How project success will be measured
  • Project timeline, milestones and completion date
  • Total project budget
  • Grant request amount (grants will not be funded for more than 50% of project)
  • Amount of funding already received
  • Project expenses grant funds would be used for (both item and dollar values required)
  • Project support and accountability resources (board, advisory council, etc.)
  • Project support documents (up to three – business plan, capital campaign fundraising plan, strategic plan, etc.)
  • If you are awarded this grant, how do you want to receive the check?
  • How did you hear about the Working Here Fund grants?

Sample Projects

  • Community gardens
  • Grain bin rescue equipment
  • 4-H and FFA Chapter projects
  • Food bank and pantry needs
  • Ag classroom curriculum and technology
  • Start-up FFA Chapters
  • Capital campaign for community ag project
  • Essential services facilities/equipment
  • Larger greenhouses or high tunnel
  • Community ag facilities
  • Food bank capital campaign

Application Link

Apply for $2,000

When applying, you will be redirected to FCSAmerica’s secure grant application site, GrantsConnect.

Apply for $10,000

When applying, you will be redirected to FCSAmerica’s secure grant application site, GrantsConnect.

 

$10,000 Grant Option

Current Deadline

June 30, 2023

Recipients Notified

July 2023 via letter

Awarded

Semiannually

Application Requirements

  • Formal plan required (business/strategic plan, capital campaign plan, etc.)
  • Project has long-term goals (in years)
  • Project budget is $10,000+ (funding only available for up to 50% of total budget)
  • What state will this organization's project take place?
  • Has this organization received a Farm Credit Working Here Fund grant in the last 12 months?
  • Have you received 3 grants in the last 5 years from either Farm Credit Services of America or Frontier Farm Credit?
  • What is your town’s population size?
  • Have you already raised 25% of funding for this project?
  • Project name, location (include city and state) and county
  • Description of project
  • Primary positive impact of project:
    • Agriculture Education
    • Hunger and Nutrition
    • Young and Beginning Producers
    • Rural Disaster Relief/Essential Services
  • Community need project will meet
  • What is the population of the community in which the organization resides?
  • Long-term goals for this project and your community
  • Number of people positively impacted
  • Geographic area expected to be impacted (such as school, park, state, city, county)
  • How project success will be measured
  • Project timeline, milestones and completion date
  • Total project budget
  • Grant request amount (grants will not be funded for more than 50% of project)
  • Amount of funding already received
  • Project expenses grant funds would be used for (both item and dollar values required)
  • Project support and accountability resources (board, advisory council, etc.)
  • Project support documents (up to three – business plan, capital campaign fundraising plan, strategic plan, etc.)
  • If you are awarded this grant, how do you want to receive the check?
  • How did you hear about the Working Here Fund grants?

Sample Projects

  • Start-up FFA Chapters
  • Capital campaign for community ag project
  • Essential services facilities/equipment
  • Larger greenhouses or high tunnel
  • Community ag facilities
  • Food bank capital campaign

Application Link

Apply for $10,000

When applying, you will be redirected to FCSAmerica’s secure grant application site, GrantsConnect.

Selection Criteria

Grant Requirements and Guidelines

  • Applicants must demonstrate how contributions will be used for purposes that serve agriculture education, young and beginning producers, hunger and nutrition, or essential services and disaster relief.
  • Qualifying programs must benefit communities within the Farm Credit Services of America service area of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota or Wyoming.
  • Grant requests must be consistent with the values and mission of FCSAmerica. FCSAmerica will not provide critiques of proposals submitted.
  • Grant requests that meet the selection criteria are considered by an FCSAmerica review committee. FCSAmerica gives priority to applications made by nonprofit organizations with an exempt status under IRS section 501(c)(3). Grants will not be awarded to the same or part of the same organization more than one time in a 12-month period and no more than three grants within a five-year period.
  • FCSAmerica may choose to fully or partially fund grant requests. Previous grant funding does not guarantee continuing support to any organization. Grants are discretionary and restricted to a specific purpose.

Grant Restrictions

  • Programs and projects of charities that do not support agriculture, young and beginning producers, agricultural education, hunger and nutrition, or essential services and disaster relief.
  • Contributions for political support purposes, scholarships, or memberships in professional societies or trade organizations.
  • Individual or personal endeavors or projects, or individual farm operations.
  • Participation or entrance fees for charitable events or financing of charitable organizations.
  • Religious or sectarian programs or groups that benefit the specific organization.
  • Political campaigns, candidates, lobbying groups, or causes.
  • Sports teams or athletic events and competition, including equipment or uniforms related to sports.
  • School activities or school booster club donations, including bands, choirs or fine arts programs.
  • Private foundations promoting personal hobbies.
  • Organizations or programs that are inconsistent with or do not align with non-discrimination, ethics, or other FCSAmerica policies, values or mission.
  • Organizations that in any way pose a conflict with FCSAmerica goals, programs, services, or employees.
  • Contributions for state annual meetings and regularly scheduled conferences.
 

The FCSAmerica grant program must be consistent with the values and mission of Farm Credit Services of America, which includes FCSAmerica being in compliance with the Employment Opportunities Act.

Grant Application FAQs

1. Click Apply for $2,000 or Apply for $10,000.

2. You will be directed to GrantsConnect, our secure grant application site.

3. On the GrantsConnect page, click the Sign-Up tab in the upper right corner of the page.

4. Complete the eligibility questions, then all application fields and required information.

5. Click the Submit button.

Note: Watch for an email from YourCause stating “Application Submitted.” YourCause is the partner that securely provides the GrantsConnect application site.

GrantsConnect is the secure website platform to complete and manage Working Here Fund grant applications. The secure GrantsConnect platform is maintained by our partner, YourCause.
No, you only need to set up one account for your nonprofit organization to apply for either grant, and future grants.
Yes, it does matter which button is clicked when applying. Each Apply button directs you to either the $2,000 or $10,000 grant application. You will use the same login for either grant application.
Grant submissions are managed on GrantsConnect. Visit the GrantsConnect website and click the link, "Forgot your password?". Then, you will directed through a process of resetting your password.

Working Here Fund Grants Contact

For eligibility or grant process questions, email us at community@fcsamerica.com.