Todd-Wadena's Electric Cooperative's Operation Round Up program will give about $15,000 in grants this fall to local organizations for community service projects. Applications are available by contacting the Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative office at (218) 631-3120 or (800) 321-8932 or by downloading a copy www.toddwadena.coop/community . The application deadline is Sept. 15.
To qualify for an Operation Round Up grant, organizations must be nonprofit entities, serving the Todd and Wadena county area. Projects should fall into one of the following categories: community service, economic development, education and youth, environment, emergency energy assistance or disaster relief. Contributions are not made to political or religious organizations, fund raising dinners, raffles, capital fund campaigns, national fund drives, for advertising or to individuals.
The Operation Round Up program is made possible by the members of Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative, who allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to the nearest dollar. The change is placed in the Todd-Wadena Community Trust account to help fund local service projects. The average individual contribution is less than fifty cents a month, yet together the members raise nearly $2,500 monthly. A volunteer board oversees the Operation Round Up program, reviews applications each spring and fall and selects the recipient projects.
Since the program began in 2001, more than $225,000 has been donated to help fund more than 280 service projects undertaken by local fire departments, senior centers, food shelves, Scouts, hospitals, humane societies and the like.
