Major funding categories
Although there are many worthy charitable and educational projects and community needs in our local area, the limited availability of funds requires us to establish funding priority categories as follows:
Community Service
Programs, projects and organizations which are important components of a community’s overall quality of life, with emphasis on public safety, health care, self-sufficiency, and basic human needs.
Programs and projects which enhance the cultural environment of communities in our local area.
Economic Development
Programs and projects designed to promote greater economic stability by helping to expand and diversify local economies, with emphasis on business retention and expansion, new business development and tourism.
Programs and projects which encourage cooperation among regional and community economic development organizations.
Community leadership programs designed to improve problem-solving skills and empower people to become self reliant in identifying solutions to local economic and social problems.
Education and Youth
School scholarship and other educational programs and projects.
Programs that are designed to combat critical social problems affecting our children and youth, with an emphasis on children and teens at risk.
Programs and projects which promote wellness and encourage youth participation in athletics and physical fitness activities.
Environment
Programs and projects that promote community recycling and natural resource preservation.
Community-based environmental quality education programs.
Environmentally sensitive agricultural research programs and projects.
Geographic focus
Contributions will be focused geographically within the area served by the cooperative and adjacent areas. Organizations which provide programs and benefits to people who live in this geographic area are eligible for funding consideration, even though the organization is located elsewhere.
Funding restrictions
Contributions will generally be made only to nonprofit organizations which have been granted tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).
Contributions will generally not be made for:
It’s a charitable program designed to provide financial assistance to local nonprofit organizations and community projects.
Palmetto Electric Cooperative (South Carolina) created Operation Round Up in 1989. Since that time, this program has been adopted by more than 200 electric cooperative's nationwide, 37 of those in Minnesota.
Co-op members can voluntarily participate by “rounding up” electric bills each month to the nearest dollar. What is most rewarding about the concept of Operation Round Up® is that it is an extension of the concept of neighbor helping neighbor that built our electric cooperative over 75 years ago.
The average member donation with be around 50 cents per month, or $6 per year, while the maximum annual contribution possible is $11.88 per year. (This would only happen if your bill was rounded up by 99 cents for 12 months in a row). Your contributions to Operation Round Up® are tax deductible and will be shown on your billing statement.
This program is designed to “round up” each electric bill to the nearest dollar and use the additional change to fund the Operation Round Up® program for charitable giving purposes. Although the individual change is a small amount, when combined with other participating co-op members, the potential impact could make a substantial difference in our communities.
The money is placed in a separate Trust account and applications are accepted quarterly from not-for-profit organizations looking to receive a grant from the Trust.
The Operation Round Up Trust Board oversees charitable giving through Operation Round Up. Our Trust board is a three-person board of directors made up of volunteer community leaders who are customers of Red Lake Electric Cooperative, as well as two ex officio directors - one RLEC board member and our general manager. The Trust Board is responsible for reviewing applications and dispersing funds to local community organizations and projects. The Trust Board members receive $25 per meeting plus mileage for compensation for serving on the board. The directors have staggered three-year terms.
A list of the administered funds will be featured periodically in the monthly member newsletter, Volts & Jolts. There will also be an annual report for the Trust Fund. Until the funds are distributed, they will be held with the Red Lake Electric Cooperative Trust Account.
Examples of grants for funding would be local fire department equipment, youth and school groups and activities, local arts and education, senior citizen groups and many other various community programs and projects. Grants will not be going to large charities, they will stay in our community, for the benefit of our community.
Participation in the program is voluntary. We realize that not everyone is willing or able to participate in the program. You may opt-out of the voluntary program any time by contacting us at (218) 253-2168.
One should contribute only if they want to join other cooperative members in a community development effort AND only if they feel they can afford to contribute an average of $6 per year. Through a cooperative and unified program, members will have a means of donating to worthy causes, and, through Operation Round Up, the small change of individuals can add up and make a big difference for our area. Together, we can do some wonderful things for our local communities.
If you have previously opted out of the program and now after seeing the program results would like to contribute, please contact our office at (218) 253-2168 or (800) 245-6068 and we would be happy to assist you. Or, if you would like to increase your donation beyond the round up amount, or make a one-time donation, please contact our office and we will help to set this up for you.
