Tractor Supply’s ‘Grants for Growing’ fundraiser underway
Tractor Supply Company has launched its ninth annual Grants for Growing fundraiser to support FFA chapters across the country.
From Feb.14 through Feb. 25, customers can purchase a paper FFA emblem at checkout in-store or online at TractorSupply.com. Funds raised will help middle and high school FFA chapters develop project-based or experiential learning opportunities.
"Tractor Supply is honored to partner with FFA as we host our 9th bi-annual Grants for Growing fundraiser," said Kimberley Gardiner, chief marketing officer at Tractor Supply. "Each year, we're deeply moved by the support our customers pour into this vital initiative. It’s their kindness and compassion that enable the future of agriculture. Last year, we were thrilled to award over 200 chapters with this grant, ensuring they were able to achieve their goals. It’s through our communities that we have the ability to nurture and cultivate a thriving future for these students."
The Grants for Growing fund supports projects in one of three focus areas: Grow Your Classroom, where funds can be used to enhance students' classroom knowledge; Grow Your FFA Chapter, which supports the development or expansion of an FFA chapter and leadership opportunities; and Grow Your Ag Awareness, which aids in the development or expansion of agricultural literacy events or campaigns.
The 2023 Grants for Growing fundraiser generated more than $1 million, funding 222 grants during the 2023-24 school year. Some of those grant-funded projects include:
- Purchase and maintenance of a campus sheep flock in Orland, California. Orland FFA Animal Science students are responsible for vaccinations, feeding, health checks, lambing, and shearing.
- Creation of a school farm in New Castle, Delaware. William Penn FFA will increase food accessibility by harvesting and donating produce to school staff and students in a refrigerated plate-style vending machine.
- Purchase of new welding equipment in Marion, New York, to support increasing demand for welders in the community. FFA members will be trained for agriculture mechanics and welding-related careers.
- Purchase of quail eggs in Kershaw County, South Carolina. North Central FFA is engaging Wildlife Management and Environmental and Natural Resources students by hatching and raising quail. Members will release adult quail back into the wild.
- Development of veterinary courses and an in-school doggy daycare in Orlando, Florida, to expand hands-on learning for the Timber Creek FFA.
This year, FFA Week will be observed from Feb. through Feb. 17. Throughout this period, FFA chapters across the nation and their supporters come together with a shared purpose: to raise funds and awareness for programs such as Grants for Growing.
Since 2016, Grants for Growing has provided more than $7.1 million in grant funding, impacting hundreds of thousands of students. The application period for grants of up to $5,000 runs from March 1 through May 15 with award notification on Aug. 1.
“We are honored that Tractor Supply Company continues to host Grants for Growing, the largest corporate partner-hosted fundraiser benefiting FFA,” said Molly Ball, president of the National FFA Foundation and chief marketing officer of the National FFA Organization. “What makes Grants for Growing so special is that it provides funding to FFA at all levels — national, state, and local. It is exciting to watch how our chapters use the grants to conduct some amazing projects.”
