Bill Gatton Foundation donates $11 million to Kentucky FFA Foundation

KENTUCKY – The Kentucky FFA Foundation is announcing an $11 million gift from the Bill Gatton Foundation.

According to a release by Kentucky FFA, this is the largest donation ever made to any FFA Foundation in the nation.

The funding announcement was shared Thursday morning at the Kentucky State Fair. The gift will provide unprecedented opportunities for thousands of Kentucky FFA members.

The donation will support the following, according to the release:

• Improvements to the Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center and the camp experience.
• Expanded camp scholarships for individuals and chapters.
• Increased prize money for state Career and Leadership Development Event winners.
• A Foundation-led bus tour to the Washington Leadership Conference for up to 100 students, with additional scholarships for those in financial need.
• Establishment of a Forever Blue endowment for the Muhlenberg and McLean County FFA chapters.

Bill Gatton was an alumnus of the Sacramento FFA Chapter in Muhlenberg County and Kentucky FFA state president in 1950. Gatton later became a successful businessman and a philanthropist. One local tie is Gatton Academy, which is named after Gatton.

“His enduring commitment to leadership and education lives on through this extraordinary gift, which will inspire and equip students for decades to come,” the Kentucky FFA Foundation stated.