Land O’Lakesmember-owners take great pride in being philanthropically active in their local communities. Thanks to matching programs from the Land O’Lakes Foundation, they can amplify the impact of their giving by doubling their donations.

Last year, over 800 grants were awarded across all three member match programs to eligible nonprofits across the country—a collective investment of $3.4 million from member-owners and the Foundation. These funds support causes including local food shelves, agriculture education programs, city improvement projects and rural fire departments. 

And this year, due to a significant jump in the use of our largest program (Member Co-op Match), we reallocated philanthropy dollars to increase the budget from $1.5 million to $2 million.

“That half a million extra represents an additional $1 million in donations when combined with member giving,” says Amy Podlesak, Land O’Lakes Foundation Manager. “It’s a huge investment—and a huge win, when we think about Foundation programs supporting communities where our members live and work.”

Empowering our members to take the lead

Through the Direct Member Match, Independent Retailer Match and Member Co-Op Match programs, member-owners can take the lead to support the causes that mean the most to them.

“They're the ones who know their local communities best, and we trust them to direct support where it’s needed most,” Amy says.

Member-owners like Josh Zonneveld of Zonneveld Dairies in Laton, California, appreciate this approach. Josh is a third-generation dairy farmer with 10,000 cows whose milk is used at the Land O’Lakes Tulare dairy plant. Funds from the Direct Member Match program have been used to support ag education and other causes important to the Central Valley. Over the past decade, more than $213,000 in Foundation matching funds have been invested in this region.

“Our family has always been passionate about giving back and supporting our communities,” Josh says. “Even though Land O’Lakes is a big national co-op, they want to support local communities where their members are. I’m glad to be part of a co-op that shares our values of giving back.”

Small grants + big trust = exponential impact

The average size of a matching grant is $2,000. “It's not all about big investments,” Amy says. “We are directing these funds to causes that resonate most with our members. As a result, the Foundation has seen firsthand that small dollars can make a big difference in our communities.”

Just ask Rachel Niemann, Marketing Brand Manager at Frontier Cooperative, which has 5,000 member-owners in southeastern Nebraska.

“A $100 matching grant doesn't seem like much, but for our Fullerton Food Bank, it means putting food on the table with fresh fruit, milk or meat for the week. And $1,000 means our Avoca Volunteer Fire Department has the equipment they need for grain bin rescues to keep our farmers safe,” Rachel says. “Those things are really impactful in our rural communities.”

Just like Zonneveld Dairies, ag education is a key priority for Frontier. “Our focus is supporting the next generation of farmers,” Rachel says, highlighting the cooperative’s partnership with the Nebraska FFA Foundation to support local FFA chapters with ag textbooks and greenhouse upgrades. “It’s the perfect partnership,” she says.

In 2024, over $850,000 in member contributions and Foundation matches went to statewide and local FFA and 4-H chapters across the country.

Strengthening community vitality

We believe that we succeed when our rural communities succeed. Each year, Land O'Lakes, Inc. donates 2% of pre-tax profits to the Land O'Lakes Foundation, which invests in building vibrant local communities “These programs aren’t just a match of dollars; they’re a commitment to our rural communities,” Rachel says. “Land O’Lakes is setting the standard of giving back.”

Josh, who serves on the Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Foundation boards, agrees. “It's impressive when you think about the number of programs they offer to help employees and members give back. It makes you proud to be part of it,” he says.