FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA ® 2022 IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS ▲ Leading Through Giving

2022 was a milestone year for Compeer Financial as we celebrated our five-year anniversary. When Compeer was formed in 2017, our Board made a strong commitment to giving back by allocating 1% of net earnings to philanthropy each year through our corporate giving program, the Fund for Rural America®

Over the course of the past five years, we gave back $22.4 million through the Fund for Rural America and our donor-advised funds. We’ve accomplished this through 2,675 grants, 698 scholarships and 506 annual commitments and one-time gifts

In 2022 alone, the Fund committed $4.8 million to support grants, scholarships, annual commitments and one-time gifts benefiting organizations across our 144-county territory. We maintain a strong connection with our communities, giving 95% of our dollars to support local and regional groups that are making an impact.

One of the key investments we made in 2022 was increasing the maximum grant amount from $3,000 to $4,000 for several of our grant programs. We also launched a grant dedicated to supporting collaboration efforts between emergency response departments and providing the funding for much-needed shared equipment. You can read more about this grant on pages 8-9.

The Fund is committed to serving all facets of agriculture and supporting those who are enhancing the future of the industry. One way we do this is by partnering with groups that educate about and build the exposure of agriculture with new communities. In 2022, we supported an innovative approach to youth involved in urban agriculture and food production (see pages 10-11).

And while we are always looking for ways to enhance the impact of our giving, our annual commitments remain core to what we do. These include yearly support for FFA, universities with agriculture programs, Agriculture in the Classroom and others. On pages 12-13, we explore the impact we’ve seen through our support of 4-H throughout our territory.

As we look forward to 2023, the Fund for Rural America is embracing Compeer’s focus on rural vitality. While the Fund has always supported local community projects and programs, we are making an expanded commitment to provide even more support. The Agriculture and Rural Initiative, our donor-advised fund, has committed $3 million over the next three years for matching grants to support rural communities. We will share more about this grant program in the coming months.

While I know the Fund for Rural America’s Board of Trustees is proud of these milestones, I hope each and every member-owner is as well. We see a bright future for agriculture and rural communities due in part to all of our combined efforts to give back.

Chair, Board of Trustees Compeer Financial

$4.8M Amount contributed to the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America ® in 2022

588 Grants distributed 12 Grant programs offered annually

The Fund focuses its giving within Compeer Financial's territory to five areas important to our clients and rural communities:

AGRICULTURAL ADVOCACY & DEVELOPMENT

Supports programs for direct farmer impact, agriculture industry advocacy, agriculture leadership development and consumer awareness.

• 80 markets and 24 farmers impacted by Farmers Market Grants

• Supported the production of AgMags and online education for Agriculture in the Classroom

• $15,000 in support for Farmer Veteran Coalitions

• Partnered with state fairs in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin

• Supported professional development for 325 ag teachers in Wisconsin

Agriculture Education

Supports all levels of formal agriculture education through programs, equipment and facility support and scholarships.

152 Scholarships awarded

922,043 Youth directly impacted with $1.2M in gifts

• 29 scholarships offered at eight state universities with agriculture programs

• 65 agriculture classrooms added new equipment

• Supported farmdoc: providing analysis, tools and data to help Cornbelt farmers make better decisions; 1.2 million users in 2022

• Grants directly to 42 young, beginning or small farmers

Cooperative Initiatives

Supports the cooperative model through client education support, local giving and team member engagement activities.

• $211,034 donated directly to local causes from Compeer offices

• Supported Compeer educational events for 3,673 clients

• 5,364 food kits packed in honor of Compeer's five-year anniversary

RURAL DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT

Supports efforts to increase vitality of rural communities, promote economic development and enrich programs for rural residents.

1.1M People facing food insecurity supported

116 Annual & One-Time Gifts given 95% of giving made a local, county or regional impact

1.8M Rural residents impacted

• Equipped 4,946 first responders with emergency response equipment

• 46 gifts impacted organizations combating food insecurity

• $432,990 in General Use Grants to 60 different organizations

• Rural Feasibility Study Grants supported 9 community projects

• Partnered on development of Rural Entrepreneurship Program with Minnesota and Wisconsin Extension

• 15 Emergency Response Equipment Collaboration Grants

Youth Engagement

56% of organizations supported benefited from time/talent of Compeer team members

Supports established programs that promote youth leadership, civic engagement and wellness.

• More than $202,500 to FFA and 4-H State Associations

• Benefiting more than 75,650 youth and young adults

• Supporting leadership development and agriculture's future