Fayette Electric Cooperative, in partnership with CoBank, one of FEC’s lending partners, awarded grants to three area not-for-profit organizations at their annual meeting on July 19. These donations were made possible through CoBank’s Sharing Success charitable contribution program.
CoBank started the program in 2012 to give back to co-ops and the nonprofits they support. Aimed at supporting local communities and people, the Sharing Success grant program matches FEC’s charitable contributions to local nonprofit organizations. Since the program’s inception, CoBank and its customers have together provided over $76 million in support to nonprofit organizations across the nation.
“Over the past ten years, Sharing Success has helped CoBank and our customer owners contribute in a big way to the growth and vibrancy of rural America,” said Thomas Halverson, CoBank’s president and chief executive officer. “It is a collaboration that embodies the cooperative principle of concern for community and leverages the deep local knowledge and strong relationships our customers have within the communities they serve. We are privileged to partner with our customers in their charitable efforts and look forward to many more decades of Sharing Success.”
$7,500 was awarded to the Fayette Community Foundation for the Fayette Electric Cooperative Charitable Fund; $7,500 was awarded to the Turtle Wing Foundation, and $5,000 was awarded to Navidad Valley Community Connections. CoBank and Fayette Electric Cooperative shared the costs of these three grants.
The Fayette Community Foundation accepted the grant on behalf of the Fayette Electric Cooperative Charitable Fund. Funds obtained through this grant will be directed toward their collaboration with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Imagination Library provides books to children aged from birth to age 5 completely free of charge to the families that are registered.
The Turtle Wing Foundation connects with providers in the community who are performing a service (such as speech therapy, tutoring, inclusive dance, theatre, etc.) and partners with the provider to create more opportunities and reach more families who need assistance. Funds obtained through this grant will be directed toward therapeutic, educational, and recreational scholarships for children with learning challenges in rural areas.
The Navidad Valley Community Connections program strives to improve the quality of life for the senior citizens who they serve. Funds obtained through this grant will support their Senior Connections meals program which serves nutritious meals to their members every Monday and Wednesday.
“Cooperatives around the world operate according to the same set of core principles and values,” said FEC General Manager Gary Don Nietsche. “These principles set electric cooperatives apart from other electric utilities. The seventh cooperative principle, Concern For Community, is a principle that runs through everything we at Fayette EC do – we focus on our members’ needs and work for the sustainable development of the communities we serve. By supporting these non-profit organizations, we are not only supporting our communities but also their needs that go above and beyond their need for affordable electricity.”
About Fayette Electric Cooperative
Organized in 1937, Fayette Electric Cooperative provides reliable, cost-effective service to over 10,300 members’ residences, farms, ranches and businesses in portions of Fayette, Bastrop, Lee, Washington, Austin, Colorado and Lavaca counties. FEC owns and operates over 3,000 miles of line and serves over 15,900 meters.
About CoBank
CoBank is one of the largest private providers of credit to the U.S. rural economy. The bank delivers loans, leases and other financial services to agribusiness, rural infrastructure, and Farm Credit customers in all 50 states.