Do you know of a local organization that could use $250 to $3,000? Applications for Central Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round-Up grant program are due Nov. 1, 2024. Through Operation Round-Up, local groups and non-profit organizations can request funding twice per year for projects that benefit cooperative members and their communities.
Operation Round-Up is a voluntary program in which cooperative members round up their electric bill to the next whole dollar, and the extra cents accumulate to support local projects. Several electric cooperatives across the United States have similar programs. Cooperative employees and board members also contribute to the fund.
In recent years, grants have been awarded for senior programs, nutrition programs, emergency services, park improvements, building improvements and educational initiatives. Grant recipients have included non-profit groups, senior citizen organizations, youth clubs, community groups, fire departments, schools and municipalities. Since 2015, more than $200,000 in grants have been awarded.
Applicants are not required to be Central Electric members, but eligible projects should positively impact the cooperative's service area, which includes Aurora, Brule, Buffalo, Davison, Hanson, Jerauld, Miner and Sanborn Counties. Funding guidelines and a fillable application are available online at www. centralec.coop/operationround-up or by contacting Central Electric at 1-800477-2892.