Pictured above: Central Electric Cooperative awarded an Operation Round-Up grant of $500 to the White Lake Library in support of the summer reading program. The funds were used toward the purchase of books and activity kits for participating children.

Grant applications for the Central Electric Cooperative Operation Round-Up program are due November 1, 2021. Funds are intended to benefit people and organizations within the Central Electric service area.

Funding priorities include projects focused on community service, economic development, education and youth, environment, emergency energy assistance and disaster relief.

Applicants are not required to be members of Central Electric Cooperative, however, eligible projects should directly benefit residents in Aurora, Brule, Buffalo, Davison, Hanson, Jerauld, Miner or Sanborn County. Each county Central Electric serves has a representative on the Operation Round-Up board of trustees that provides a voice to help decide how funds are dispersed.

Operation Round-Up® is a voluntary program in which members round up their electric bill to the next whole dollar each month, and the extra cents flow into a charitable fund that is earmarked for grants. Since the program’s inception in 2015, Central Electric members have given more than $130,000 back to support local causes.

More details and funding guidelines can be found online at www.centralec.coop/operation-round-up or by contacting the Central Electric office at 1-800-477-2892.