*Colorado Future Farmers of America state officers meet with MFF to share insights of first year of My Cause, My Corduroy*

MFF recently visited the CSU Spur campus to connect with the inaugural My Cause, My Corduroy group and hear how their first year leading the program went.

When we first launched this initiative, modeled after SSF, each Colorado Future Farmers of America (FFA) state officer received $1,000 to invest in their community. We believe they are the best people to direct these funds because they understand their communities best.

MFF gave them the SSF program handbook as a guide, but they took it and made it their own, adapting it specifically for FFA and creating something that worked best for themselves and those applying for grants. They were thoughtful about how grants would be received, how decisions would be made, and how they could continue improving the process moving forward.

Throughout the year, these young leaders traveled the state, visited FFA chapters, reviewed grant applications, made difficult funding decisions, and learned what it truly means to steward resources on behalf of others.

One officer reflected on how eye-opening it was to see how different each FFA chapter was in terms of needs, available resources, and the focus of its agricultural education. Another shared:

“I was always lucky to have a chapter that could financially afford things for students. After traveling and hearing stories, I quickly realized that’s not the case for every chapter in Colorado. I wanted to give chapters more help and opportunities for members.”

The officers spoke about some of the most impactful moments of the year: working the State Fair and seeing the impact from behind the scenes, visiting chapters together in parts of the state they’d never even heard of, building leadership skills, living together at CSU Spur, and connecting with members whose experiences looked very different from their own.

They also spoke honestly about the challenges.

As first-time grantmakers, they had to learn what information was truly needed in the application process. They realized they needed more detailed budgets from applicants to better understand each request. They wrestled with difficult questions around fairness, collaboration, and team decision-making.

Was it my cause or our cause?

Should funding decisions be made individually by officers or collectively as a group?

How do you support as many chapters as possible with limited funds?

They approached these conversations with incredible care and with their community in mind.

One of the most encouraging takeaways was watching the officers begin to see the bigger picture of philanthropy for FFA chapters across Colorado. They spoke about the importance of the agricultural industry, education, and the economic benefits to communities, but also recognized how their grants could make an even bigger impact through items such as official dress, specific contest tools, and funds to send students to events. More often than not, several grants had multiple state officers pool their funds to support a chapter, recognizing that together their dollars helped more people.

They also saw how critical leadership development opportunities are, and there was a deep appreciation for honoring the journeys of those who came before them while creating a foundation for those who will come after.

The program has already begun inspiring philanthropy beyond MFF, including securing additional donor support from individuals and foundations who also believe in the program’s mission.

MFF President, John Morgridge, said it best. “You should be so proud of yourselves. You are the reason this is so special because you have been able to give this money to those who you know need it most, making it even more impactful.”

They set the bar incredibly high, and by the end of the conversation, MFF approved funding for next year’s program on the spot.

Read more about their funding priorities and the state officers here.