North Georgia EMC Foundation and The Community Foundation partner to “Round Up” grant applicants
North Georgia Electric Membership ( NGEMC) Foundation announced that nonprofit charitable and civic organizations who serve the seven counties in the NGEMC service area can apply online for Operation Round Up grants through August 31, 2014. These counties include Catoosa, Chattooga, Gordon, Floyd, Murray, Walker, and Whitfield. Applicants can complete the online application at www. ngemc. com or www. communityfoundationnwga. org. Each request must be for a specific purpose.
“Like many nonprofit electric cooperatives across the nation, we are offering a vehicle for our members to make a substantial impact on their communities without having to make a substantial monetary contribution,” remarks Kathryn West, Chief Executive Officer and President at North Georgia EMC. “Our members have already made a difference to the organizations that have received Round Up grants, and the program will meet even more needs in the future.”
According to West, North Georgia EMC members may round their bills up to the next dollar amount. Those pennies are pooled and used for charitable endeavors throughout the region. For example, a bill for $92.68 will be rounded up to $ 93.00, with the extra cents going to the North Georgia EMC Foundation, which is a 501c( 3) organization. Monthly contributions range from 1 cent to 99 cents, with most consumers averaging about 50 cents per month — or $6 per year. And, the annual contributions, which will not exceed $11.88, are tax deductible for the member.
West emphasizes that one hundred percent of funds collected are given to charitable causes. The EMC covers the program’s administrative costs.
“We expect the Round Up program to grow significantly in the next few years both in number of organizations applying for funds and the amount of money collected and available for grants,” says West. “We have called upon the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia to help us manage the Round Up program. With their experience in grant- making and their knowledge of the region’s communities, they can provide professional oversight and help ensure the success of Operation Round Up.”
Founded teen years ago, sixthe Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia assists individuals, families, and businesses in the region with their charitable giving, and in doing so, they’ve developed considerable expertise in community collaboration and building and maintaining vibrant communities.
“In an era when resources are limited and needs are greater than ever, we are proud to help administer the Round Up program,” says David Aft, President of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia. “We are confident that our expertise will help simplify the process and allow the North Georgia EMC Foundation trustees to concentrate wholly on making sure that the grants made will make a real difference in the communities throughout our service area.”
In the spring, Operation Round Up awarded over $58,000 in grants to fourteen nonprofits serving the communities of Northwest Georgia. In addition, an emergency fund for responding to local natural disasters was established. The grants ranged in size from $2,000 to $10,000.
Past applicants have found the grants to be a huge benefit to their work. Fragile Kids Foundation used their grants from the NGEMC Foundation to provide medical equipment to help medically fragile children living in Floyd and Gordon Counties. Action Ministries used their Round Up funds to help with expenses for twenty-four transitional houses in Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, and Whitfield Counties. Habitat for Humanity of Gordon County used their Round Up funds to purchase and install kitchen cabinets for their most recent Habitat home. The Catoosa and Whitfield County Emergency Response Taskforces received Round Up grants to assist in planning and outreach. The Cottage Family Crisis Center used their round up funds to purchase mattresses, dressers, and a washer/ dryer to equip transitional homes for abused or neglected children in Walker, Catoosa, Murray, and Whitfield Counties. These are only a few of the many grant recipients throughout the seven county service area.
Applications are reviewed by the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia and the North Georgia EMC Foundation Trustees, who make up a seven- person board with representatives from each of the counties in the EMC’s service areas.
“As a group, we discuss each application and the mission of each applicant,” says Bill Scott, Chairman of the North Georgia EMC Foundation Board of Trustees. “We determine if the request fits into one of our areas of focus by asking the following questions: Will the project help individuals and families succeed? Will the project help our communities prepare for the future? Will it help our communities respond to emergencies more efficiently? Or will the project help improve the quality of life in our communities?”
Trustees make their selections and all organizations are notified of the decisions just weeks after the deadline.
“We plan to conduct two grant cycles each year,” Scott adds. “Each grant cycle will have a two- month window for organizations to apply for grants. The next deadline for the current cycle is August 31.”
North Georgia EMC members who do not wish to participate can opt-out by calling their nearest North Georgia EMC office or accessing their account online and following the easy optout steps. Members who are opted in the program and choose to opt out at a later date may request a full refund of any contributions.
“Reaction to Operation Round Up’s grants has been very positive,” says West. “Over seventy percent of our members are participating. They’re giving back to their communities through the program because it’s easy and effective. Many people see its value and are happy to spare a few pennies each month for worthy causes.”