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Compeer gives grant to GCDC
gcdc compeer
From left, Green County Economic Development Corporation Project and Marketing Manager Tracy Brewer, Compeer Financial Loan Officer Erin Mullett, Green County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Olivia Otte and Compeer Financial Loan Officer Anne Schultz.

SUN PRAIRIE — Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 32 General Use Grants, totaling $204,650.

Compeer Financial concentrates the General Use Grant funding in the cooperative’s 144 county territory and on those programs that fit strategically with the intent of its clients and the rural communities in which they live. In order to be considered for funding, requests for support must align with Compeer’s mission of enriching agriculture and Rural America, as well as, one of the following focus areas:

●  Education — educating young, beginning or future farmers.

●  Environment — maintaining or improving the quality of the rural environment.

●  Technology — supporting the advancement and utilization of technology for the benefit of farmers and rural communities.

●  Quality of Life — programs or initiatives that enhance the quality of life for farmers and rural communities. 

This round of grants will directly impact the lives of 1.2 million people. “The General Use Grant program impacts the communities where Compeer clients and team members live and work,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “The grants embody our commitment to enriching agriculture and rural America, and to the farmers and communities we serve.”

The Green County Development Corporation, or GCDC, was awarded $5,000 in funds to start the Green County Pop-up Shop Program — a new initiative to support small businesses and fill vacant storefronts in Green County’s rural communities. The GCDC will be rolling out the Pop-up Shop Program in conjunction with their upcoming Small Business Series trainings this April — a five-part education series in which participants will receive guidance on a course to launch and grow their idea into a successful business. 

The Pop-up Shop Program will seek proposals from local small businesses, entrepreneurs, and start-ups who are interested in entering a downtown market in one of Green County’s rural communities. Applicants selected to participate in the program will obtain assistance from the GCDC in facilitating the short-term lease of vacant storefronts. The Pop-Up Shop Program will aide in creating vibrant downtowns that improve the quality of life for all residents and visitors in rural Green County. 

Participants interested in either the Small Business Series Trainings taking place from April 19 to May 17, or the Pop-up Shop Program can receive further information by contacting the GCDC at (608) 328-9452 or gcdc@tds.net.

Since the program was established in 2018, the Fund for Rural America has awarded 367 General Use Grants, totaling over $2.1 million. The Fund will offer this grant again in May 2023 to provide funding for summer 2023.  

The 32 organizations receiving support from the General Use Grant Program throughout Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, include.