CLICK HERE TO VIEW CURRENT ISSUE

Best of NAMA 2025

Stay Informed
with these

Services
Agri Marketing Update
e-newsletter sent each Monday and Thursday
@AgriMarketing on Twitter
Farm Show Guide
Marketing Services Guide
Books:

National Agri-Marketing Association
NAMA Website
Upcoming Events
Chapters
Agri-Marketing Conf
Best of NAMA 2025












JOHN DEERE FOUNDATION CELEBRATES ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY, TO DONATE $19 MILLION


Source: John Deere Foundation news release

The John Deere Foundation hit a major milestone, celebrating 75 years of giving.

In its first meeting in Moline, Illinois on December 9, 1948, the foundation made its first pledge: $18,208.33 for the Moline Community Chest. Those funds, which were pooled for charitable giving, became United Way chapters.

Seventy-five years after making this investment, the foundation announced new grants in October this year totaling $19 million -- the largest in its history.

Unrestricted Giving

Continuing this legacy of giving, in 2021, the foundation committed $200 million over ten years to invest in critical initiatives, including feeding the hungry and supporting farmers and food programs globally. This pledge further reinforces unrestricted giving, enhancing the impact on nonprofit organizations.

Ali Parrish, executive director of Heartland Habitat for Humanity in Waterloo, Iowa, said the foundation's recent $2 million unrestricted investment in the home-building group bolstered more than its finances.

"The opportunity for nonprofits to receive unrestricted grants and funding is the best possible gift a funder or donor can give," said Parrish, executive director of Heartland Habitat for Humanity in Waterloo, Iowa. "It allows them to adapt quickly to the never-ending changes and disruptions they face. This is absolutely the correct approach."

Benefiting People

"For 75 years, the John Deere Foundation has been a powerful catalyst for giving within our home communities," said John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere and chairman of the John Deere Foundation. "Together, the foundation and our people create a ripple effect that has immediate and long-lasting benefits across our communities and company."

The foundation will remain focused on helping people.

"We don't see foundation investments as grants. We see people who can benefit," explained Nate Clark, current president of the foundation and global director of corporate social responsibly. "The burdens on our neighbors seem harder than ever. We feel the weight of that -- what the legacy and what the foundation can do for people."


Search News & Articles












Proudly associated with:
Ag Media Council Canadian Agri-food Marketers Alliance National Agri-Marketing Association National Association of Farm Broadcasters
Agricultural Relations Council Agricultural Communicators Network Livestock Publications Council
All content © 2026, Henderson Communications LLC. | User Agreement