Partnering With Our Cooperative Customers To Build Vibrant Rural Communities

As a cooperative, mission-based lender, CoBank’s commitment to rural America extends beyond financial services.

In 2012, we created a $3 million charitable fund designed to benefit cooperatives and the charitable groups they support throughout rural America. Under our “Sharing Success” program, CoBank matched contributions by our cooperative customers to the nonprofit organizations of their choice on a dollar-for-dollar basis, from a minimum of $1,000 up to a maximum of $5,000.
 
It was one more way that CoBank created value for its customers, by partnering with them to strengthen the communities they serve.

"Shared success is a hallmark of the cooperative business model, so we were absolutely delighted to be announcing this new program," said Robert B. Engel, CoBank’s president and chief executive officer when announcing the program earlier this year. "Throughout rural America, cooperatives of all sizes are working not only to provide value to their members but to improve the quality of life in their local communities. We hope all our cooperative customers will take advantage of this fund, and use it to leverage the support they provide to worthy causes in the areas they serve."

The launch of "Sharing Success" coincided with the United Nations' "International Year of Cooperatives" in 2012. CoBank began formally accepting applications for funding on August 1, 2012. The program ran through December 31, 2012. Applications were considered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

All CoBank cooperative customers were eligible to participate, and each was eligible for a single grant.