Pennsylvania Ffa Foundation

What Pennsylvania Ffa Foundation does

Pennsylvania FFA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1984 and headquartered in East Berlin, Pennsylvania, that raises and deploys private and pass-through public funds in support of Pennsylvania FFA members and agricultural education. It serves as the fundraising and program-grant arm for the Pennsylvania FFA Association, which was originally chartered in 1929 and represents more than 16,000 student members across the state's middle-school, high-school, and collegiate FFA chapters. The Foundation does not deliver agricultural instruction directly; rather, it channels donor dollars into teacher recognition, chapter programming, student entrepreneurship, and supervised agricultural experience (SAE) grants that complement classroom and laboratory instruction delivered by schools.

Revenue is generated through a mix of corporate sponsorships, individual donations, event-based fundraising (an annual Golf Outing, the Pennsylvania Farm Show pizza concession, and Scholar Dollars programming at the Farm Show and Ag Progress Days), and pass-through state grants. Named institutional sponsors and partners include Nationwide Insurance, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Horizon Farm Credit, Tractor Supply Company, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the last of which co-administers Agriculture & Youth Grants of up to $25,000 per project. Signature programs include the Golden Owl Award (teacher recognition, co-sponsored with Nationwide and PA Farm Bureau), JumpStart Grant and Farmers on the Rise (with Horizon Farm Credit), and Grants for Growing (with Tractor Supply).

Operationally, the Foundation runs with a small staff of 1-10 employees under Executive Director Sarah Sparks and Board President Zachary Gihorski. It is geographically constrained to Pennsylvania and derives its primary competitive advantage from its affiliation with the FFA brand and its pre-existing relationships with school-based agricultural education programs, county FFA chapters, and statewide agribusiness institutions. There is no disclosed technology platform or proprietary product; the Foundation's "product" is grant funding, programmatic support, and brand-amplified recognition delivered through partner institutions.

Name

Pennsylvania Ffa Foundation

Legal name

Pennsylvania FFA Foundation

Website

https://paffa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Pennsylvania FFA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises and deploys private and state funds in support of 16,000+ Pennsylvania FFA members and agricultural education programs statewide, via corporate sponsorships, events, and pass-through grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Agricultural education
• Youth leadership development
• Nonprofit foundation
• Scholarship grant programs
• Educator professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

East Berlin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations to support FFA programs, scholarships, and grants. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Event-Based Fundraising: Annual Golf Outing, Farm Show pizza concession, and Ag Progress Days food service operations generate revenue while providing student volunteer opportunities through the Scholar Dollars Program.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with agricultural businesses at various sponsorship levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Contributing) provide financial support and in-kind contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Pennsylvania FFA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that secures funding and partnerships to support Pennsylvania FFA programs, agricultural education, scholarships, and grants. It administers the Learning by Doing Grant, Scholar Dollars Program, FFA Scholarships and Grants, the Golden Owl Award, Career Connections, professional development for agricultural educators, and operates fundraising events such as the annual Golf Outing and Farm Show concessions. Its offerings target FFA members, local chapters, agricultural educators, corporate sponsors, and individual donors across Pennsylvania.

Product overview

Pennsylvania FFA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the Pennsylvania FFA Association through fundraising and program funding. The Foundation offers grant programs including the Learning by Doing Grant and Scholar Dollars Program, facilitates scholarships and grants from external partners, runs career connection services linking students with agricultural employers, and organizes the annual Golf Outing fundraiser. The organization also supports professional development for agricultural educators through PAAE programs and provides educational resources including cross-curricular materials, SAE guidance, and career exploration tools. The Foundation partners with the PA FFA Association, PA FFA Alumni Association, and Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) to deliver programs serving 16,000+ FFA members across Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Learning by Doing Grant
• Scholar Dollars Program
• FFA Scholarships and Grants
• Golden Owl Award
• PAAE Programs
• Career Connections
• Cross Curricular Resources
• SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience)
• Professional Development Programs
• PA Farm Show Volunteer Program
• Annual Golf Outing
• Pennsylvania FFA Photo Database

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,000+ FFA members developing leadership and career skills in Pennsylvania
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Horizon Farm CreditcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAgricultural lending cooperative serving Pennsylvania that supports FFA through career connections, scholarships, and the JumpStart Grant and Farmers on the Rise programs for beginning farmers.
• Nationwide InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNationwide partners with FFA on the Golden Owl Award, recognizing outstanding agricultural educators with $500 regional prizes and $3,000 state awards, plus $5,000 donations to state FFA organizations.
• Pennsylvania Farm BureaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartners with FFA on the Golden Owl Award program to recognize and support agricultural educators across Pennsylvania.
• CargillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal food and agriculture company offering career opportunities for FFA members through their Camp Hill, PA operations.
• PennAg Industries AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPennsylvania's premier agribusiness trade organization representing poultry, swine, aquaculture, feed, grain, and manure management sectors. Offers job board and internship programs for FFA members.
• Tractor Supply CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors the Grants for Growing (G4G) program providing up to $5,000 to middle and high school FFA chapters for project-based learning opportunities.
• Pennsylvania Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government agency providing Agriculture & Youth Grants up to $25,000 for eligible organizations including FFA chapters for education, workforce development, and capital projects.
• Pennsylvania Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education department that certifies agricultural educators and supports Career and Technical Education programs including agricultural education.
• Delaware Valley UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institution with agricultural education program preparing future agriculture teachers, supporting Teach Ag pathway.
• The Pennsylvania State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand-grant university offering agricultural education programs, professional development for teachers through CASE curriculum, and hosts events like Ag Progress Days.
• National FFA OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational parent organization providing official FFA manual, resources, scholarships, SAE grants, and Living to Serve grants to state associations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National FFA Organization: National parent organization for FFA, providing the same student-led agricultural education, leadership, scholarship, chapter, and career-development infrastructure. It is the closest mission and category peer, although it operates nationally rather than only in Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania FFA Association: Statewide student organization and primary program ecosystem that the Foundation supports; it shares the same chapters, agricultural educators, competitions, conventions, and members. It is a direct operational peer even though the Foundation is a separate fundraising nonprofit.

Regional players

• Indiana FFA Association: State-level FFA association focused on agricultural education, leadership development, career preparation, scholarships, and local chapters. Its operating model closely matches Pennsylvania FFA's student, educator, and chapter ecosystem, but it serves a different state.
• Ohio FFA Association: State FFA association with chapter-based agricultural education, leadership events, scholarships, and educator programming. It is a regional peer serving similar students and partners in another state.
• Texas FFA Association: Large state FFA association delivering youth agricultural education through local chapters, competitions, scholarships, conventions, and career programming. It is comparable by mission and distribution model, with materially different geography and scale.
• California FFA Association: State FFA association that supports agricultural education, leadership, experiential projects, and career development through a chapter network. It shares the same student-led agricultural education model but operates in a different state and regional context.

Emerging players

• Agriculture Future of America: Nonprofit agricultural talent-development organization offering scholarships, internships, leadership development, and employer engagement. It overlaps with the Foundation's agricultural education and career-pathway mission, but primarily serves college-age students rather than middle and high school FFA members.
• National Agriculture in the Classroom: National agricultural-literacy nonprofit that provides curriculum, educator resources, and classroom programs connecting students with agriculture. It is comparable in agricultural education and educator support, but does not operate the Foundation's chapter and scholarship model.

Others

• American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture: Agricultural-literacy foundation providing educational resources, grants, scholarships, and public engagement around farming and food. It is adjacent through grantmaking and agricultural education, but is less focused on student chapters, FFA membership, and hands-on career programs.

Broad incumbents

• National 4-H Council: National youth-development nonprofit with agriculture, STEM, life-skills, leadership, educator, and volunteer programs. It is comparable through its youth and educator mission and nonprofit partnership model, but its portfolio is broader than FFA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PAFFAFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/PAFFAFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/paffafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-future-farmers-of-america-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania Ffa Foundation