Tractor Supply Co. Foundation Commits $125,000 to Advance Minority Opportunities
The Tractor Supply Company Foundation has committed $125,000 to organizations advancing opportunities for minorities in the agriculture, education and civic fields. The donation comes as part of Tractor Supply Company’s ongoing commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in its workforce and the communities it serves.
“At Tractor Supply, we are committed to being a champion for equality and respect,” said Hal Lawton, Tractor Supply’s President and CEO. “By way of the Tractor Supply Company Foundation and with the direction of our African Americans on the R.I.S.E. group, we are proud to support these organizations that are doing important work to advance opportunities for African Americans and other minorities in our schools, our communities and in the field of agriculture.”
Earlier this year, the rural lifestyle retailer launched the African Americans on the R.I.S.E. (Relationships, Inclusion, Support and Education) Team Member Engagement Group (known as R.I.S.E.). The group’s mission is to engage, empower and facilitate the growth of African American Team Members; provide visibility to and address issues and challenges which impact African Americans; and support causes of importance to the broader African American community. In light of the recent national focus on racial and social justice, the Tractor Supply Company Foundation worked with the R.I.S.E. group to identify organizations that are uniquely working to achieve these goals.
The donation recipients are:
MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) – $25,000
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation – $20,000
Farms to Grow, Inc. – $20,000
Fisk University – $20,000 – $20,000
100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee – $20,000
These donations from the Foundation come in addition to the Company’s support of Nashville-native Shawn Dromgoole’s neighborhood walks to promote safety and inclusion in communities. The area where Dromgoole’s family lives in Nashville has become highly gentrified since his grandmother first moved there 54 years ago. Following the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Dromgoole did not feel safe walking in his own neighborhood. After he posted his concerns on the Nextdoor app and Facebook, the Nashville community rallied around Dromgoole with hundreds of people joining him to walk the neighborhood. Following the success and outpouring of support, Dromgoole decided to take the #WeWalkWithShawn movement to neighborhoods across the country, and Tractor Supply was proud to fulfill his GoFundMe campaign by donating $15,000 to support his walks.
Under Lawton’s leadership, the Company launched a Diversity and Inclusion Council at the beginning of the year to promote programs focused on Team Members, welcoming environments, customers and communities. In June, the Company published its first-ever Environmental, Social and Governance Report which provided transparency around its diversity and inclusion program, pay equity and more.
To learn more about Tractor Supply’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, visit Corporate.TractorSupply.com/DiversityandInclusion. For more information on the Tractor Supply Company Foundation and the Company’s charitable giving, visit Corporate.TractorSupply.com/Community.