Applications for Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative’s Concern for Community program, which provides grants of up to $5,000 for capital improvement projects throughout the Heartland service area, will be accepted June 1—July 31.
To qualify for a grant, a project must fit within one of the following categories:
- County fairs: Projects related to county fairs in the Heartland service area, with a focus on infrastructure projects and other projects that are not supported by normal fair sponsorships.
-
Schools: Schools within the cooperative’s service area that have capital campaigns for facilities that would positively impact Heartland members.
-
Non-profit organizations: Non-profit organizations undergoing capital campaigns with facilities that focus on education, environment, culture and the arts, and civic and community development that would positively impact Heartland members.
- Other: Other projects that better the communities in or surrounding the cooperative’s service area, as authorized by the board.
In keeping with Heartland’s goal of encouraging sustainable development, preference will be given to collaborative projects receiving support from other sources. Awardees will be selected by the Heartland Board of Directors in August, and funds will be distributed in September.
Funds for Heartland’s Concern for Community Grants come from the cooperative’s unclaimed capital credit retirement checks. Because that money was intended to support the local community, Heartland’s Board of Directors has decided to use those funds for community grants.
Grant money does not come from cooperative revenues and the issuing of grants will not impact future rates or capital credit allocations.
More information and a link to the online application form can be found online at https://www.heartland-rec.com/community/concern-for-community-grants/ . Questions may be directed to Doug Graham, Communication Specialist, at (620) 724-5526.