Area Organizations Receive Grants

Giving back to the community is one of the seven Cooperative Principles. The Operation Round Up program from Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative is a great way for the co-op and its members to give back.

Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative’s Community Trust Board met in early February and awarded six Operation Round Up grants to local non-profit organizations, totaling $12,183.57.

The recipient organizations and their awards are as follows:

Funds for the Operation Round Up program come from participating Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative members who allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to the nearest dollar, with the change allocated to a Community Trust Fund. The average donation is less than 50 cents a month, yet together, members raise and donate about $29,000 annually to community service projects in the TWEC service area. Since the program’s inception in 2002, Todd-Wadena members have raised and donated more than $643,000 for 772 local community projects.

Todd-Wadena’s Operation Round Up grant applications are reviewed and recipients selected three times a year by a seven-member volunteer Community Trust Board. The next application deadline is May 15th.Local, nonprofit community service groups may apply for Operation Round Up grants by downloading a copy of the application form and guidelines at www.toddwadena.coop/oru

February 2024 Operation Round Up Grant Recipients

Back Row (L to R): Roger Houselog, Staples Pickleball Association; Shane Motschenbacher, Central Minnesota Boxing, Inc.; Dan Skogan, Friends of Wadena County Youth; Jeremy Umland, Central Minnesota Boxing, Inc.; Dan Sartell, Friends of Wadena County Youth; Mel Daniels and Milt Peterson, Staples All Veterans & Community Park Association; Kallie Baxter, Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative.

Front Row (L to R): Lacey Aquirre, Staples Pickleball Association; Donna Shaw, Cheryl Carey, Beth Gedde, Staples ’93 Lions.