The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation

What The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation does

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization incorporated under Alberta's Societies Act in 2024 and built by United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Limited (UFA). It operates as the formal charitable arm of UFA, succeeding the former UFA Rural Communities Foundation which disbursed $500,000 to 20 projects over five years. The foundation is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and serves agricultural communities in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan within a 200 km radius of UFA's 35 Farm and Ranch supply stores and 121 petroleum locations.

The foundation operates four core grant programs structured around three pillars — Educate, Engage, and Enrich. Grassroots Giving provides ongoing funding for local community programs; Major Partnerships funds sponsorships of $15,000 or more for large-scale initiatives; Rural Communities Grants awards five $20,000 grants annually (totaling $100,000) for rural capital projects in education, recreation, and culture; and the UFA Funds 4-H program provides $300 per eligible 4-H Club or District in Alberta and Saskatchewan, capped at $70,000 and $20,000 respectively. The foundation is governed by an Advisory Board (UFA members and elected officials) overseeing the Rural Communities Grant program and an Operational Board (UFA Management and elected officials) overseeing the foundation investment fund and community investment programs. Key strategic partners include The Simpson Centre at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy.

The foundation's funding trajectory has scaled from $100,000 awarded in 2024 (to four projects) and 2025 (to five projects), to a $1 million commitment announced for 2026. Applications are accepted through Benevity online forms, with year-round intake for Grassroots Giving and Major Partnerships, and structured annual windows for Rural Communities Grants (June-July) and 4-H Funding (November). The foundation has funded over 200 4-H Clubs and Districts annually and received hundreds of applications for its Rural Communities Grant program in both 2024 and 2025.

Name

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation

Legal name

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation

Website

https://ufafoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation is a Calgary-based non-profit that provides grant funding to agricultural communities in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan through four programs: Grassroots Giving, Major Partnerships, Rural Communities Grants, and 4-H Funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Community Foundation Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Agricultural grant funding
• Community foundation grants
• Rural community funding
• Charitable foundation programs
• Agricultural community investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that administers grant and sponsorship funding to agricultural communities in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. It offers four core programs: Grassroots Giving for local programs within 200 km of a UFA location, Rural Communities Grants (five annual $20,000 capital-project grants), Major Partnerships (sponsorships of $15,000 or more for large initiatives), and 4-H Funding ($300 per eligible 4-H Club or District in Alberta and Saskatchewan).

Product overview

The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation is a charitable organization incorporated under Alberta's Societies Act and built by United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Limited. The foundation operates four core grant and funding programs: Grassroots Giving (ongoing community program funding), Major Partnerships (sponsorship for larger initiatives), Rural Communities Grants (capital project funding of $20,000 per grant), and 4-H Funding (direct funding to 4-H clubs). Through its three pillars of giving—Educate, Engage, and Enrich—the foundation invests in local initiatives and partnerships for the betterment of agriculture in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grassroots Giving Ongoing funding program for local community programs, initiatives or events that enhance the quality of life in the agricultural community. Available to programs located within 200 km of a UFA location, with applications accepted year-round and funding decisions communicated within 6-8 weeks.
• Major Partnerships Sponsorship program for large-scale initiatives with a minimum funding request of $15,000 that have positive impact for the agricultural community, supporting agricultural education, sustainability, and community development. Examples include The Simpson Centre at the University of Calgary.
• Rural Communities Grants Annual grant program providing $20,000 per grant for rural capital projects that enrich education, recreation and culture in the agricultural community. Five grants totaling $100,000 are awarded each year, with projects to be completed within two years. For the 2026 cycle, applications were open June 12 to July 31, 2026.
• 4-H Funding (UFA Funds 4-H) Direct funding program providing $300 annually to local 4-H Clubs and Districts in Alberta and Saskatchewan, capped at $70,000 for Alberta and $20,000 for Saskatchewan. Applications open November 4 annually on a first-come, first-served basis. Over 200 4-H Alberta and Saskatchewan Clubs and Districts have been funded annually.

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Simpson Centre (University of Calgary, School of Public Policy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partnership supporting The Simpson Centre's work on food and agriculture research. The UFA Foundation funds the Public Education Series, which makes research on food systems accessible to the public. The partnership connects researchers, industry stakeholders, government, and everyday people to discuss critical issues related to the future of food and agriculture.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Saskatchewanatchewan Community Foundations: Provincial association representing community foundations in Saskatchewan, many of which serve rural agricultural communities similar to those supported by UFA Foundation's Saskatchewan programs.
• The Calgary Foundation: One of Canada's largest community foundations, managing donor-advised funds and distributing grants across Calgary and surrounding areas. Comparable in its Alberta footprint and grantmaking function (note: UFA Board member Don Cormack previously served as Chairman of The Calgary Foundation).
• 4-H Canada: National youth development organization serving rural and agricultural youth across Canada. Direct peer in serving 4-H Clubs and Districts with funding and program support, including UFA Foundation's $300 per-club 4-H funding program operating in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
• Community Foundations of Canada: National umbrella organization representing more than 180 community foundations across Canada. Comparable in mission and grantmaking focus on community vitality, though operating at a national scale rather than a single regional co-operative's footprint like UFA Foundation.
• Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada: Canadian cooperative sector's international development and community foundation, affiliated with the co-operative movement. Peer in grantmaking and community investment model rooted in the co-operative identity, similar to UFA's co-operative ownership structure.
• Peavey Mart Community Foundation: Another Western Canadian agricultural retailer-backed community foundation. Comparable in being a corporate/foundation structure supporting rural communities through grant programs tied to an agricultural retailer's footprint and community engagement mission.
• Farm Credit Canada AgriSpirit Fund: Farm Credit Canada's AgriSpirit Fund distributes grant funding (typically $5K-$25K) to rural community projects across Canada, including capital projects for recreation, culture, and education. It is a direct functional peer to UFA Foundation's Rural Communities Grants and Grassroots Giving programs, both serving agricultural communities through competitive grants.

Regional players

• AgriCorp (Ontario): Ontario-based agricultural Crown corporation (provincial) supporting agricultural communities through programs and services. Comparable in agricultural community focus but operates as a Crown agency in Ontario rather than a privately-funded nonprofit foundation in Western Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UFA_foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/UFAfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ufa-co-operative
• Instagraminstagram.com/ufacoop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation