Operation RoundUp

In September 1998, Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative established the Lyon-Lincoln Electric Trust, Inc., (Trust Board) to oversee a unique voluntary program designed to provide financial assistance to worthwhile projects and charities in our surrounding communities. That program is called Operation RoundUp®. Since that time, Operation RoundUp® has been expanded to provide educational scholarships to students graduating from the high schools that are located in the service area of the cooperative. Applications for grants are considered approximately four times per year. Scholarships are awarded each Spring.

To qualify for funding, projects must generally be related to community service, economic development, education and youth, environment, emergency energy assistance or disaster relief. Applicants for scholarship funding must be planning to attend an accredited post-secondary educational institution in pursuit of their initial post-secondary degree. These institutions could include technical colleges, universities or colleges.

Operations RoundUp® works like this: The cooperative will round up electric bills of participating members to the next dollar. For example, if your bill is $41.70, it would be "rounded up" to $42. Your maximum contribution per year could be $11.88, but generally will be less than that, averaging $6 per year. Your contribution is tax deductible and the funds are administered by the Trust Board, which is made up of members from throughout the area that the cooperative serves. By joining this program you are continuing the "neighbor helping neighbor" concept that founded the cooperative years ago. If you decide to participate in this program, thank you. Please call the General Manager if you have questions about Operation RoundUp ® or the Trust Board.

Recent Operation Round-Up Grants

These are a few of the grant requests recently approved by the Board of Directors of the Lyon-Lincoln Electric Trust, Inc.

• Ghent Fire Fighters (personal protective equipment)
• Lake Benton Opera House (sound and video equipment)
• Pioneer Public Television ($1000 toward children's programming)
• Various Prom Committees ($100 toward after prom parties)
• Annual Scholarships for local students
• Cross Country 4-H Club ($100 toward community service projects)
• Lake Benton Historical Society (camera and printer)
• Russell Historical Society ($100 to help preserve and display historical items)
• Yellow Medicine Co. Fair ($100 toward premiums)

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
• Economic Development
• Education and Youth
• Environment
• Emergency Energy Assistance
• Disaster Relief

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.

Click here for more information on the funding guidelines for the Operation RoundUp Trust.

Get the Lyon-Lincoln Grant Application for Organizations here.