Nebraska Cooperative Council Education Foundation

Nebraska Cooperative Council

Education Foundation

The NCC Education Foundation was established in 2000 under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of the Foundation is to enhance the educational offerings to the cooperative and agribusiness industry. Education has always been one of the core values of the cooperative movement, and through the Foundation we will be able to enrich the ongoing education programs and develop new programs as the need arises. Specific charitable uses of Foundation funds will be to provide funding for:

	Scholarship programs for high school graduates to continue their education at Nebraska post-secondary institutions that provide agribusiness management programs.
	Continuing education programs for local cooperative directors and employees.
	Youth education programs for projects such as curriculum development or cooperative day camps. In the past, we have provided curriculum materials to all high school Ag Education programs in the state. We need to update these materials periodically as new information becomes accessible.
	Travel/study scholarships for cooperative employees to attend programs such as the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership (GICL).
	Intern scholarships to allow students to explore cooperative career opportunities and conduct research projects for cooperatives. These programs will allow students to gain an understanding of career options in the cooperative industry through hands-on work/study experiences.
	Special educational projects that would enhance the cooperative movement in the state. An example would be the Cooperative Recruitment Project that was completed in 2003. This project was designed to help identify, educate, and train individuals that would allow Nebraska's farmer-owned cooperatives to recruit a new generation of employees.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS...The Foundation is governed by a 5-member Board of Directors: [effective 1/1/10]

Gail Hall of Lexington - Retired Cooperative Manager [Chair]

Gerald Schmidt of Janssen, Board Chair for Farmers Cooperative in Dorchester [Vice Chair]

Mike Turner of Lincoln, Retired Professor of Ag Economics at UNL [Secretary]

Jamey Nygren of Lincoln - Director of Legislative Affairs for Farm Credit Services of America

Deino Sather of Omaha - Vice President for CoBank

ANNUAL REPORT

NCC EDUCATION FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN HONOR OF MICHAEL S. TURNER

The Scholarship Program began with the 1993/94 academic year. Since that time 144 scholarships totaling $109,700 have been awarded to students. Click here for a list of past winners. The funding for scholarships comes from interest funds from the Foundation’s scholarship endowment account.

Colleges included in the Scholarship Program are:

UNL College of Ag Sciences & Natural Resources - incoming and upperclass students with a major of agricultural business/economics

Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) at Curtis - students with a major in business/management or ag production systems with the business option

Chadron State College - upperclass students with a major or minor in agribusiness

Student eligibility is restricted to sons/daughters of a parent/legal guardian who has been an active member, director, or employee for at least the prior three (3) years of a cooperative which has been a member in good standing of the Council for at least five (5) years. Scholarship committees at UNL, NCTA, and Chadron State make the selection of recipients based on criteria established for each scholarship. The Foundation only verifies local cooperative affiliation and Council membership requirements.

2011/12 Academic Year...Scholarship recipients for 2011/12 were announced on August 22, 2011 via statewide news release.

2012/13 Academic Year...Promotion materials, including the application form, were mailed to NCC cooperative managers on December 1, 2011. Links to these materials are included below. The application deadline is April 15, 2012.

Poster for display in your cooperative headquarters and branches

Application form (print and complete by hand)

Application form (save and complete via your computer)

News Article (to be used in your co-op newsletter or hometown newspaper)

DONATIONS / MEMORIALS

During the course of a year, there are many life events that occur within the cooperative family. In many cases, individuals would prefer to invest in a more lasting tribute to friends and relatives than to invest in flowers or other more temporary items. If you would like to provide a memorial gift or honorary gift to the NCC Education Foundation, please fill out a contribution form (computer form / complete by hand) and forward the completed form with your check to the Foundation.

Last updated 12.1.11

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Nebraska Cooperative Council

134 South 13th St., Ste 503

Lincoln, NE 68508-1901

PH: 402/475-6555 FAX: 402/475-4538

Legislative and Regulatory Issues: Robert Andersen, President

Education, Scholarship Program, Communications Issues: Ed Woeppel, Education & Program Director

All other issues: General Office