Soil Health Fund Grants Promote Innovation, Education


Foundation: Nebraska Community Foundation

credit: mcfblog

When Dan Gillespie was diagnosed with ALS in 2020, he told his sister, "I want to give $5,000 to a young farmer practicing good soil health."

That's exactly what the Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund has done, with its first grant going to Battle Creek, Neb., high school student Akeyli Bush, who is studying the impact of land management techniques on soil aggregation and the soil microbiome, reports the Omaha World-Herald.

Gillespie, a no-till farmer and soil health advocate, started using no-till practices in 1986 and served as an NRCS no-till specialist from 2004 until his retirement in 2020.

When he was diagnosed with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a terminal neurodegenerative disease, his family, friends, and soil health advocates started the fund in his honor.

"I thought it was such a generous gesture, especially given his prognosis with ALS," says his sister, Rebecca Evert.

"Then it occurred to me and other family members that we could support his intentions to 'pay forward' his soil health passion and experience."

So far, the fund has awarded $7,200 in grants, with new applications accepted in March and September.

Read the Entire Article


Selected Foundation News

A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.

Climate Tech Vc Investments Drop For the 3Rd Year in A Row, Ai to the Rescue

Venture capital (VC) investment in climate tech declined globally for the third consecutive year.However, energy and building technologies, particularly those tied to AI data centers, bucked the...more

Innovative South Florida Startup Building New Seawalls That Are Also Eco-Friendly

Innovative South Florida startup building new seawalls that are also eco-friendly.Walls are textured, using biomimicry to create features that imitate what would naturally appear in the ecosystem.One...more

New Castle Secures Major $5M State Grant to Start Chapline

The town of New Castle has received a $5 million state grant to build a 1.7-mile trailway from near the grounds of Horace Greeley High School to downtown Chappaqua.The grant program is overseen by...more

Creative Juices Flow At National Arts Camp in Victoria

The 2025 National Creative Arts Camp (NCAC) is an opportunity for youth and young adults from around the country to learn, grow and share.The annual event, which ran from 12-18 January, was hosted by...more

Ann Arbor Nonprofit Champions Youth Arts Education, Plans Lantern Walk At Leslie Science Center

Ann Arbor nonprofit champions youth arts education, plans lantern walk at Leslie Science Center.Ann Arbor nonprofit champion youth artsEducation.org is a non-profit that promotes arts education in...more

Nonprofit Legal Compliance in An Unfriendly Political Environment

Compliance matters will help prepare a public charity or private foundation to address a threat.Review mission/purpose statements, particularly in your governing documents.Review your communications...more

Lewes Council Receives Report Calling For Tax, Fee Hikes

Finance committee seeks revamp of budget process, creation of resiliency fund.Lewes Mayor and City Council formally received a financial report that calls for tax and fee increases and major changes...more

Nonprofit Credit Counselor Sees Rising Needs From Debt-Burdened Americans

MMI financial educator Thomas Nitzsche said they saw "a really significant jump" in new clients last year.Gen X and baby boomers carried the highest unsecured debt, averaging about $36,000 and...more

Nonprofit Credit Counselor Sees Rising Needs From Debt-Burdened Americans

MMI financial educator Thomas Nitzsche said they saw "a really significant jump" in new clients last year.Gen X and baby boomers carried the highest unsecured debt, averaging about $36,000 and...more

Tian Fu Association (Singapore) Launches Tianfu Foundation (Singapore) in Collaboration ...

Tian Fu Association (Singapore) Launches Tianfu Foundation (Sing Singapore) in Collaboration with Community Foundation of Singapore.Foundation's mission is to enhance social mobility and create...more







Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight



Sustainable Principles for an Innovating Nigeria


The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles, an agreement signed by 34 banks, including the original eight of the nation’s leading banks, that covered nine key areas: environmental and social risk management, environmental and social footprint, human rights, women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion, environmental and social governance, capacity building, collaborative partnerships and reporting.




Federal Government Grant and Assistance Programs



Edited by: Michael Saunders

© 2008-2025 Copyright Michael Saunders