Every six months, Central Electric Cooperative accepts Operation Round-Up® grant applications from organizations that positively impact Aurora, Brule, Buffalo, Davison, Hanson, Jerauld, Miner or Sanborn County. The next application deadline is May 1, 2023.
Applicants do not need to be Central Electric members, but eligible projects should benefit residents in the cooperative’s service area. Funding categories include community service, economic development, education and youth, environment, emergency energy assistance and disaster relief. Groups that have received past grants include food pantries, fire departments, municipalities, booster clubs and youth organizations.
“Residents and non-profit groups across our service area benefit from this program. Since 2015, Operation Round-Up has generated more than $170,000 to support local projects,” said Tara Miller, manager of communications at Central Electric.
Operation Round-Up is a voluntary program in which cooperative members round up their electric bill to the next whole dollar each month. Many cooperative employees also contribute through payroll. The money accumulates in a special fund and is used to award grants approved by the board of trustees.
Trustees representing the eight-county service area are Julie Dykstra of Stickney, Jill Ekstrum of Kimball, David Jorgenson of Mitchell, Amber Kolousek of Wessington Springs, LeAnn Moe of Alexandria, Tami Moore of Howard, Ellen Speck of Gann Valley, Dawna VanOverschelde of Letcher and cooperative director-at-large Merl Bechen of Mitchell.
To access funding guidelines and an application, visit http://www.centralec.coop/operation-round-up or contact Central Electric Cooperative at 1-800-477-2892.