The Sunderland Foundation of Kansas City, Kansas, committed to contributing $100,000 over two years to help fund the construction of Northwest Missouri State University’s proposed Agricultural Learning Center.
“The fact that it will provide lots of educational opportunities for farmers was an interest to our trustees,” Kent Sunderland, president of the Sunderland Foundation, said. “We want to see rural schools and rural markets continue to thrive, and this is a good educational opportunity for young people who want to pick that as their vocation.”
The Sunderland Foundation, one of the largest foundations serving the region, focuses on supporting brick and mortar projects and awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region. It annually supports areas of interest such as higher education, youth-serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums and civic projects as well as low maintenance, energy-efficient housing projects.
The Sunderland Foundation was established in 1945 by Lester T. Sunderland, who served as president of the Ash Grove Cement Company for 33 years.
“Through the Sunderland Foundation’s support and giving as well as an evolving and progressive agriculture curriculum at Northwest and partnerships with industry leaders, Northwest and the Agricultural Learning Center can continue to influence generations of students and the communities they better,” said Mitzi Craft, Northwest’s director of corporate and foundation relations.
