Coulee Region Co-op Community Fund

Do you believe in supporting local growers, in livable neighborhoods, in strong schools, in supporting other co-ops or in programs that make this community an even better place to live? Viroqua Food Co-op and its partners, the People’s Food Co-op and the Bluff Country Co-op, administer the Coulee Region Cooperative Community Fund Grant. This grant fund was established in 2003 by the People’s Food Co-op with a mission to provide supplemental or project-specific funding to local non-profit organizations which have missions consistent with the goals of our co-ops. It is a wonderful way of applying Co-op Principle 6 “Cooperation among cooperatives” and Co-op principle 7, “Concern for Community,” making our communities healthier, stronger and more sustainable.

The Coulee Region Cooperative Community Fund works much like any foundation; the contributions that you and the Co-op make to the fund are part of the permanent endowment. The endowment is invested in other co-ops and the interest earned is used by the CRCCF to make grants to local non-profit organizations and cooperatives.

Unlike many other foundations or endowment funds, the CRCCF is invested in co-ops, not in the stock market. So unlike other funds that were negatively impacted by volatility in the stock market, our community fund continues to grow. The Coulee Region Co-operative Community Fund (CRCCF) enhances the VFC’s ability to positively impact out community, which is a fundamental part of our mission. Over the past several years through CRCCF grants we’ve funded community garden projects, community health programs, and farm-to- school programs to name a few.

Priority is given to grant requests for educational projects, development projects and events which have a focus on, but are not necessarily limited to, food and food systems, nutrition, health and well-being, sustainable agriculture, cooperative education and social change. Applications are accepted in the spring of each year and are available on the VFC website.

Past recipients of the CRCCF awards have included: Coulee Children’s Center, the Cornucopia Institute, Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School, LaCrescent – Hokah Community Gardens, the Women’s Resource Center of Winona, Riverway Learning Community and Houston Community Gardens.

2011 grant recipients were:

• LaFarge Schools After School Club

  Building gardens to grow vegetables for their own consumption
• Youth Initiative High School
  The Whole Plate Project, developing a ready-to-use food and nutrition curriculum for high school students and adults