The Sawnee Electric Membership Foundation plans to distribute more than $42,000 to local organizations and projects with funds raised in part from co-op members through the Operation Round Up program.
Operation Round Up allows participating members to round up an electric bill to the next dollar. On average, participating members will contribute $6 per year. The money collected through Operation Round Up is directed to the Foundation and 100% is then administered in a series of grants by its board of directors.
The Foundation Board approved $31,944.00 for local charitable organizations and $10,339.27 for its Bright Ideas teacher grants.
The third-quarter grants will be distributed to the following:
Charitable Organizations
-Dawson County Wee Books Program, Inc.;
-CASA of Forsyth County, Inc.;
-Community Helping Place, Inc.;
-Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Inc.;
-Variety – The Children’s Charity of Georgia, Inc.;
-American Cancer Society, Inc.;
-Sawnee Association of the Arts, Inc.
-Reaping Nature Educational Outreach Foundation, Inc.;
-Fill Ministries, Inc.;
Bright Ideas
-Denmark High School – Forsyth County;
-East Forsyth High School – Forsyth County;
-West Forsyth County – Forsyth County;
-Whitlow Elementary School – Forsyth County;
-Hendricks Middle School – Forsyth County.
“Giving back to the community is a core cooperative principle and the Operation Round Up Program is a great way for Sawnee EMC’s members to give back locally,” said Blake House, vice president of member services.
Each month, about 16,000 Sawnee EMC members round up their electric bill to the next highest dollar. This extra change goes directly into the Foundation and these small, yet generous, donations have allowed the Foundation Board to donate over $3.7 Million back into local communities since its inception in 2003.
To learn more about the Operation Round Up Program and the Foundation, visit www.sawnee.com/oru or contact Cindy Badgett, director of external affairs, at 678-455-1399 or email cindy.badgett@sawnee.com.