Kubota is looking for entries for a community grants program between now and April 12.
The Kubota Hometown Proud program looks for community organizations in Kubota dealers' operating districts to distribute the grants to. This year, officials say 20 grants are being awarded.
Vanessa Sapino with Kubota said this is the fourth year of the initiative.
"A lot of the Kubota employees are part of this initiative where they know of projects that need help, and so they encourage non-profits to apply. It really caught on like wildfire," Sapino said. "It really does run the gamut. A lot of rural communities apply, so you'll see projects from ball fields to rodeo arenas, community gardens, agriculture centers, agriculture education for youth. It kind of spans every need a community has."
Applications can be submitted on Kubota's website between now and April 12. Sapino said applicants should describe their needs and how they would use the funds to impact their community, along with a timeline for the proposed projects and a couple of pictures.
Last year's national winner, Jenny Brongo with Hope Community Farm in Rochester, New York, said the grant has had life-changing implications for her non-profit, which aims to provide inclusive programming for people with disabilities.
"It's easy to use, it was 250 words or less, and I basically just spoke from the heart and explained what we were doing," Brongo said. "What it has done for us, for our own marketing and letting people know we're here has just been life-changing."
Brongo was chosen as the national winner out of over 900 applicants in 2022 and was awarded $200,000.
This year, 20 winners will be selected, with two coming from each of Kubota's operating districts. Those two will then be put to a public vote, with the winner being awarded a $50,000 grant and the runner-up receiving $10,000.
Kubota's website indicates the contest is only open to U.S. citizens age 18 or older who are designated representatives of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/3/1234416/kubota-again-offering-hometown-proud-grants-to-community-projects