Corporate support of National FFA tops $16.2 million

Corporate and individual contributions to the National FFA Foundation in 2012 to support national FFA programs and agricultural education climbed to more than $16.2 million.

Corporate support this year exceeded the $15.8 million donated in 2011 and $15.6 million in 2010. Individual giving also rose to $558,000, up from $475,000 a year ago and $292,000 two years ago.

Pfizer Animal Health gave $1.27 million to FFA this year to link veterinarians in local communities with FFA members planning careers in animal health.]

Other million-dollar corporate contributors were CSX Transportation and RFD Communications, which operates RFD-TV and Rural TV.

Monsanto provided more than $890,000 to support national student leadership conferences, educational awards, awareness campaigns and more.

Cargill and General Mills committed more than a half-million dollars to fund the creation of a new food science and safety curriculum for agriculture students.

Individuals also stepped up to support FFA in 2012.

A group of eight people who advise FFA in matters concerning individual giving created a pool of donations to serve as matching-fund incentives and encourage others to support FFA. The group will give more than $312,000 over the next three years and each new donation to FFA of $1,000 to $100,000 will be matched by the group.

Nebraska business owner and former FFA member Ron Grapes established a major endowment that will provide grants for FFA members to use and complete their required supervised agricultural experience, marking the first time in the 85-year history of FFA that an endowment was established to support the organization's SAE program.