Case for Support

The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture implements Colorado's Agriculture in the Classroom® program and is the lead agricultural literacy education organization that serves the full spectrum of prekindergarten through 12th grade formal education in Colorado. The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture is well-respected with a long-standing history and is unique to the agricultural education community in Colorado in its focus on agricultural literacy instruction in Colorado schools.

With the considerable increase in Colorado's population over the last 20 years, particularly in urban and suburban communities, it is becoming increasingly more important to cultivate an understanding of the food and fiber system that we all rely on every day. There is a significant need to connect Colorado educators and students to agriculture, regardless of their geographic location.

Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom programs and reach have grown by 35% over the past five years. To continue to expand the reach of educational resources and programs, the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture seeks additional funding from corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals for operating support, teacher and classroom aid, and special project implementation.

Background and Impact

Since 1991, the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture (CFA) and the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) program seeks to advance agricultural literacy – an awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of our food, fiber, fuel, and natural resources – among preK-12 teachers and their students. AITC strives to improve student achievement by applying authentic, food, natural resources, and agricultural-based content as the context to teach core curriculum concepts in science, social studies, nutrition, STEM, and language arts. CoAITC does this by:

• Developing materials that are accurate, standards-based, and scientifically sound to enhance the educational experience of preK-12 students.
• Providing programs, inspiration, and training opportunities for educators.
• Partnering with like-minded organizations to create awareness about the significance of agriculture in our everyday lives.

Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom annually reaches approximately 325,000 students and teachers in urban, suburban, and rural communities across Colorado. This is accomplished through a combination of printed and electronic resources, in-person and virtual presentations, teacher professional development, public events, and multiple communications and outreach efforts.

Charitable Contributions

The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture is an educational corporation with a 501(c)3 charitable organization status under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code and is in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State. This status allows sponsors to treat their gifts as a tax-deducible charitable contribution. The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture's Federal Tax Identification Number is 84-1177351.

Organizational Documents

Annual reports, organizational documents, and 990 tax forms may be found on the Annual Reports & Documents page.