Springfield, Illinois (31 December 2019) – The BRANDT Foundation awarded four grants to charitable organizations at its regularly-scheduled December meeting.

The December 2019 grantees, all 501(c)3 organizations in good standing for the past three years, boast close ties to the Ag industry and local communities in California and Illinois.

Illinois 4-H Foundation – The BRANDT Foundation grant will be used to pilot an educational technology program, designed to bring youth into contact with open source precision agriculture technology. As a part of a collaboration between the FarmBot Company, Illinois State Board of Education, the University of Illinois Crop Science Department and Illinois 4-H, this program is a growing STEM initiative and the pilot phase of the program will result in 5 test sites, curriculum and instructional support from the 4-H state office.

Progressive Ag Foundation – This grant will be used to help fund the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Program. This educational program provides training and resources for local communities to conduct one-day safety and health programs. Safety Days are designed to be age-appropriate, hands-on, fun, and safe for children.

California for Ag in the Classroom – The BRANDT Foundation grant will be used to help fund The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom annual conference. Last year, more than 260 K through 12 teachers attended the conference which primarily focuses on teacher development.

Illinois FFA Foundation – With this grant, the Illinois FFA Foundation will help fund its annual alumni meeting and auction. Proceeds from the auction go towards scholarships for FFA members to attend events such as 212 Conference, FFA Leadership Camp, Washington Leadership Conference and more.

“The BRANDT Foundation continues to do good work throughout our local communities,” said Rick Brandt, President and CEO of BRANDT. “This winter, we contributed to familiar organizations as they continue to deliver results through the programs and scholarships we help them fund.”

All the grants are connected to the local communities where BRANDT does business. The mission of The BRANDT Foundation is “to provide meaningful assistance and support to the communities, farms and families where BRANDT has facilities.”

The BRANDT Foundation is a private foundation, funded through donations from BRANDT, Inc. and BRANDT employees.