North Star Electric Coop Staff Report

The North Star Electric Community Trust Board met July 10 to review 30 applications they received requesting funding for various programs. Total amount requested was over $27,000. The board had about $10,000 to work with, so it was not an easy task selecting which group would get funding and what amount they would receive.

Many local programs and organizations benefit from Operation Round Up, a voluntary member-driven fund-raising program of North Star Electric Cooperative, Inc., designed to provide financial assistance for worthwhile projects and charities in the area. Donations are given to organizations to help make the area a more pleasant and safe place to live.

All funds for Operation Round Up are contributed by the member-owners of North Star Electric and the money is put into a trust fund that is separate from electric accounts. The trust is administered by its own board of directors comprised of people from across the area.

Operation Round Up directors are appointed by North Star’s board members and must be members of the cooperative. The cooperative’s general manager is a non-voting member of the board.

Operation Round Up Board members include: Peter Granger, president; Gretchen Thompson, vice president; Margie Sporlein, secretary/treasurer; Zelpha Crawford, Mary Ellen Lehman, Julie Lepisto and Sande Moyer.

Organizations from the area may apply for a donation from the Operation Round Up Trust. The applicant must be charitable in nature and be working to meet a need in the area. The Operation Round Up Board meets twice a year and decides if an application meets the guidelines of the trust and if funds are available.

If a member chooses to be part of Operation Round Up, their bill is “rounded up” to the next highest dollar. For example, if a bill is $96.47, the computer will round up the bill to $97. The additional 53 cents will be placed in the trust and distributed to local charitable and community-based programs.

About 80 percent of North Star’s members have chosen to participate in Operation Round Up and it is expected that contributions will be about $ 18,700 each year. That money goes right back into the community.

The average annual contribution from a member is about $6. The most that could be contributed in a year by a member is $11.88 (12 months x 99 cents).

If a member of North Star Electric or a non-member of the cooperative would like to make an additional contribution, they are encouraged to call the office.

At the July meeting, $9,879 in Operation Round Up funds were distributed to various qualifying programs and organizations throughout the area.