The LPEA Round Up Foundation Board approved a total of $46,698 in grant funding to local non-profit organizations at its meetings in April, May, and June 2022. The following groups received funding as part of these three grant cycles: 4 the Children, Animas High School, Durango 9R Athletics and Activities, Durango Cowboy Gathering, Durango High School, Durango PlayFest, Foundation for Archuleta County Education, La Plata Youth Services, Manna Soup Kitchen, Seed Studio, Southwest Civic Winds, The Hive DGO, Thingamajig Theater Company, Wings Early Childhood Center, and the Women’s Resource Center of Durango.
The board has approved 28 grants so far in 2022 totaling $92,198. In 2021, the board approved 22 grants for $65,353.
“Manna is extremely excited and honored to be awarded this grant,” said Executive Director Ann Morse. “This grant will provide funding to purchase educational supplies to support the four Manna Garden Educational Programs…which support the most vulnerable in our community through accessing nutritionally and culturally important food, relevant nutritional information, cooking, food preservation, and gardening skills, and social connection.”
A percentage of Round Up funds is also distributed to community assistance programs each year. Thus far in 2022, the Round Up Foundation has allocated $14,680 to the Community Emergency Assistance Coalition and $4,891 to the Pagosa Outreach Connection to provide families and individuals with emergency assistance funds.
Round Up Foundation grants are made possible, in part, by the generosity of LPEA members who choose to round up their electric bill each month to the next highest dollar. $60,000 in unclaimed LPEA Capital Credits are also provided annually to the Round Up Foundation Board to support these grants. LPEA members wishing to round up their bill can sign up on SmartHub or at lpea.coop/round-foundation. The average LPEA member contribution is just $6.00 annually. Members can also elect to automatically donate more each month if they would like to contribute additional money to local non-profits.
Established in 1997, the La Plata Electric Round Up Foundation is a non-profit, community-support fund for organizations and individuals in LPEA’s service territory. A local, eleven-member volunteer board reviews applications and allocates funds. 100% of the tax-deductible donations stay in the communities LPEA serves. Grants are available to registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in La Plata and Archuleta counties and usually range from $500 to $5,000. Application forms are available at lpea.coop/grant-programs.
LPEA is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving La Plata and Archuleta, with segments of Hinsdale, Mineral, and San Juan counties. LPEA is the fifth largest cooperative of 22 in Colorado and aims to provide safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost to its approximately 35,700 members.
For additional information, contact LPEA at (970) 247-5786 or visit lpea.coop.
Hillary Knox is VP of Communications at La Plata Electric Association, Inc. (LPEA)