The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation strives for measurable agricultural community improvement in Ohio through the support of projects that focus on agricultural education, environmental and economic issues.

Organized in 1985, The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, Inc. (Foundation) has helped community groups, civic leaders and consumers in rural, suburban and urban neighborhoods use agriculture to address a variety of quality of life issues.

Some of our programs have created collaborations that have statewide impact. Farm Bureau leaders worked through the Foundation to gather resources to create the Ohio Agribusiness Development Center as well as the new Nationwide – Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, both located at The Ohio State University.

Other programs create special local benefits. Over the past four years the Foundation has awarded close to 40 Agriculture Action and Awareness Grants to support a variety of education, environmental research and economic development programs. Ag in the Classroom efforts, soil and water conservation projects and establishing farmers market operations in inner cities have been enhanced.

Recognizing individual dreams and leadership development are priorities too. The Foundation supports a “family” or scholarships. Our Darwin Bryan Scholarship Program, the Women’s Leadership in Agriculture Scholarship Program and our newly created Foundation Scholar Program are helping students pursue careers in science, education and community service.

The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, public charitable organization. The organization is governed by a combination of leaders with Farm Bureau experience, as well as those having expertise working and representing a variety of different service areas and different rural, suburban and urban communities. Resources contributed to the Foundation are redistributed, as grants, scholarships and other support actions. Contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law.

Programs Supported by the Foundation The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation looks for instances where its support can help small community groups and individuals make a difference! In many cases, funding provided by the Foundation has helped many capitalize on opportunities where original gifts and benefits have been multiplied several fold. Programs administered by the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation include:

Community Grantsmanship: The Foundation awards Agriculture Action and Awareness Grants on a competitive basis. The program is open to independent producers, agricultural producer groups, and/or community service groups in rural, suburban and/or urban settings. Grant recipients receive awards to initiate, continue and/or complete a program highlighting economic development, education/outreach or environmental research – all using agriculture.

Scholarships: The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation maintains a “family” of scholarship endowments that include the Cindy Hollingshead Scholarship Fund, Darwin Bryan Scholarship Program, Women’s Leadership in Agriculture Scholarship Program and Foundation Scholar Award. Each program was created to address specific donor interests, but each recognizes students for academic effort, community service and career interests that use agriculture to enhance community service, education or scientific research.

Giving to the Foundation Financial support for the Foundation comes from individual donors, agricultural organizations and corporations/foundations.

The Foundation accepts contributions from individuals and other allied groups or organizations interested in the purposes of the Foundation. The following individual giving options are available: outright gifts (cash, securities, real estate); deferred or planned giving (wills and bequests, life insurance, remainder interest), endowments, memorial or tributes, gifts in trust, annuities and annuity trusts.

Many families are discovering that you don’t need immediate access to a large fortune to positively impact people’s lives; all you need is interest and a plan. The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation Bequest Society helps families create a vital, first step for creating a gift giving strategy by establishing a charitable bequest in their will or estate plan.

More Information... Discover more about Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation programs, projects and governance policies by downloading a copy of our most recent Annual Report; contact us at foundation@ofbf.org or call 614-246-8210.