About Center for Rural Affairs
Establish strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities.
Focus Areas
rural developmentsmall business lendingfarm & food / sustainable agriculturemeat & poultry processingcommunity development financial services (CDFI)clean energy / solar financingwomen's business supporttechnical assistance and training
Who They Fund
partner organizations and subawardees (PASA/NSAC/MRN/etc.)agricultural producers/landowners (implied by NRCS outreach)coalitions/advocacy networks involved in resilience and policy
About Center for Rural Affairs
Center for Rural Affairs’ recent grantmaking is shaped by rural Nebraska priorities, with multiple grants tied to farm, food, lending, conservation, and community development work. The foundation supports organizations that deliver technical assistance, training, and policy-related services, and it also backs programs that connect rural producers to conservation practices and business support. Its largest recent award in the list is a $129,055 subcontract to Practical Farmers for policy and F&C work, followed by a $74,034 subcontract to Practical Farmers of Iowa in 2025 and a $66,525 award to the same organization in 2024. Those grants sit alongside smaller project awards that point to a mix of statewide partnerships and specific service contracts. The foundation’s active programs show the same practical orientation: lending for small businesses and solar projects, farmer training, conservation mentorship, and veteran-focused agriculture education. That combination suggests a funder working through partnerships, subawards, and program delivery rather than one-off general operating gifts. Its giving is regional, but Nebraska organizations account for a substantial share of the recipient list.
What Center for Rural Affairs Funds
In policy and advocacy-related work, the foundation gave $129,055 to Practical Farmers for a policy and F&C subcontract, and later awarded $12,000 to the Congressional Hunger Center through an NSAC subcontract. The recent list also includes a $15,000 subcontract to Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey, showing that this work can extend beyond Nebraska when tied to partner networks. On agriculture and outreach, it awarded $25,000 to Pasa Sustainable Agriculture in 2025 and $20,500 in 2024 for a Pasa subawardee project described as an NRCS outreach video. It also provided $36,324 and $23,148 to the University of Nebraska for F&C subcontract work. The foundation also supports lending and small-business development. Recent examples include a $27,400 lending services subcontract to Grow Nebraska Foundation and a $10,000 MRN subcontract to Two Paddles LLC.
How Center for Rural Affairs Gives
Typical grants fall in a fairly tight band: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $20,500, and the 75th percentile is $25,000. That pattern matches a grantmaker that uses project-specific awards rather than large open-ended commitments. The recent list shows repeated recipients across multiple years, including Practical Farmers of Iowa, the University of Nebraska, Grow Nebraska Foundation, Buffalo County Community Health Partners, and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture. The foundation also funds through subcontract and subaward arrangements, with many awards labeled for specific work such as lending services, outreach, or policy support. It funds individuals: False, and the active programs accept unsolicited requests.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$328K
Total Assets
$38.2M
Total Revenue
$18.6M
Total Expenses
$11.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $21K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$21K
75th Percentile
$25K
Geographic Reach
Regional10 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BRIAN DEPEW
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