White-Reinhardt Agricultural Literacy Project Grant

The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education is a grant initiative supported by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture in collaboration with the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. The fund commemorates Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who led efforts to increase agricultural literacy nationwide. One key component of this fund is the Agricultural Literacy Project Grant, which aims to strengthen agricultural education efforts for K-12 students across the United States by initiating new programs or expanding existing ones into new subject areas or grade levels. Grants of up to $1,000 are made available exclusively to state and county Farm Bureaus. These grants are competitive, with priority given to programs demonstrating a clear financial need. Funding is targeted toward sustainable, repeatable materials and tools that promote agricultural literacy. Ineligible costs include mileage, field trips, wages and benefits, safety programs, and one-time-use consumables like meals or paper products. The intent is to enhance educational capacity and support learning resources that align with long-term goals. Applications were needed to be submitted through an online portal and were subject to state-level approval by June 27, 2025. Each county Farm Bureau is limited to one application, while each state Farm Bureau may submit one statewide application in addition to one per county. Half of the awarded grant funds are disbursed at the start of the project, with the remainder issued upon successful project completion and submission of a final report to the Foundation. Only state or county Farm Bureaus are eligible to receive grant payments. Evaluation of applications includes strict adherence to proposal guidelines, with disqualifications for late submissions, budget violations (such as inclusion of consumables), or deviation from the focus on agricultural literacy. Approved applications are reviewed by a judging panel based on specific scoring criteria: learner engagement in agriculture (30 points), creative engagement (20), project narrative and planning (20), expansion of existing efforts (15), and alignment with the Pillars of Agricultural Literacy (15). The 2025 grant cycle closed on June 13, with notifications issued around July 11 and initial funding provided by the end of July. Final reports are due by July 11, 2026 for this most recent cycle. The grant operates on an annual cycle and it is anticipated the next cycle will become available summer 2026. This grant ensures ongoing opportunities for state and county Farm Bureaus to expand agricultural literacy programming through structured, sustainable educational initiatives.

Ensure alignment with Pillars of Ag Literacy; exclude consumables; follow all submission directions carefully