IAA Foundation History

Illinois Farm Bureau® leaders established the IAA Foundation in 1987 to provide scholarships for agriculture and agribusiness students, help fund research, support projects to develop farm leaders, and support other charitable causes.

Five Illinois Farm Bureau® directors serve as the Board of Trustees along with Philip Nelson, president of the IFB, who is chairman of the Foundation board.

A new chapter in the Foundation's history opened in 1997 with a focus on fundraising for the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) program. The Foundation has been given the responsibility to raise funds for IAITC efforts throughout Illinois. The funds raised increase the number of students reached in grades K-8 and train classroom teachers to help integrate agriculture's story into their curriculum.

Mission Statement
To fund education, research, and charitable activities that benefit Illinois farm families and agriculture. 

Contributors to the IAA Foundation are independent, farm-focused people and businesses with an interest in advancing Illinois agriculture…people like you who care about the future of agriculture, agribusiness, and related industries.