When producers overwhelmingly voted to support and form the Council in 2019, they did so with specific objectives in mind. One objective made clear by producers throughout the campaign was to ensure only a fraction of Council funds were used on administration and the vast amount of dollars brought in were to be put towards funding projects. As we are now in our third year, I can say without a doubt that the Council has followed through with this commitment. Funds allocated to administration and oversight remain low and the Council has a healthy financial statement that will allow our producer board to fund effective and impactful projects on your behalf.
As part of this commitment, the Council specifically seeks to partner with other agricultural associations, firms, researchers, qualified individuals, etc. to complete work on the Council’s behalf. By doing this, we are able to maximize your investment and amplify its reach. Leveraging resources and in-kind contributions from existing organizations and seeking to contract with qualified individuals that have specific expertise allows the Council to avoid having to hire multiple internal staff which carries a significant cost.
As such, the Council is launching an effort to allocate funds to local agricultural associations, producers, researchers, or other interested individuals to conduct work that fulfills the priorities of cattle producers at a local or county level. The Council is using this opportunity to offer partnerships to fund local initiatives and priorities as a trial with the hope to build this program out further in the future. For this year, grants will be limited to $10,000 per project. Please visit the Council’s website for a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) that includes all the information a person will need to apply for funding. Proposals are due on June 17, 2022. If you know of organizations, qualified individuals, or researchers that can utilize these funds to advance a local project or address a challenge you care about, please share the RFP with them directly. When reviewing projects for funding, the Council will pay close attention to ensure the proposals meet the requirements outlined in the RFP and are not duplicative of existing projects or initiatives.