BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COMMUNITY GRANT DEADLINE NEAR

  

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative will donate $3 million to nonprofit groups within the co-op’s service area over three years, beginning with the first grant cycle this fall. The deadline for an area nonprofit to submit an application for a Bluebonnet Community Grant is Monday, Aug. 17.

“This is a great program that will provide much-needed financial support to area nonprofits,” said Mark Rose, Bluebonnet’s general manager. “We have received many applications talked to several more nonprofits about the program. But we can’t award grants to organizations that don’t apply, so I encourage all eligible nonprofits in our service area to look at their needs and submit a grant application by the deadline.”

The Bluebonnet Community Grants program will fund infrastructure (capital) projects for up to $100,000 each and award operational grants for $5,000 to $20,000. Grants will be awarded once in 2015, twice in 2016 and 2017, and once in 2018. Grants will be awarded within four months of the application deadline.

Nonprofit organizations eligible to apply for grants must be within Bluebonnet’s service area, including municipalities that are not served by Bluebonnet. For example, nonprofit organizations located in cities not served by Bluebonnet, such as Bastrop, Brenham, Lockhart and Giddings, but whose services benefit the surrounding co-op service area, are eligible to apply for Bluebonnet Community Grants.

Organizations not eligible for the program include for-profit entities, organizations that engage in political lobbying, individuals and nonprofit organizations limited to group membership. Projects not eligible include completed projects, religious or church-sponsored facilities that can be used only by church members, land acquisition, debt-reduction programs, political lobbying, sponsorships and advertising.

To be considered for a Bluebonnet Community Grant, organizations must submit a completed application form, program narrative, budget summary for capital projects, project timeline, pictures of the project or asset (if applicable), current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documentation confirming tax-exempt status (if applicable), a completed IRS Form W-9, and a list of elected body or board of directors with their individual contact information. Additional requirements are stated on the grant application.

Grant program information, application forms, a map of the co-op’s service area boundaries and more information are available online at bluebonnet.coop/grants. Applications and information materials can also be picked up at any one of Bluebonnet’s five member service centers in Bastrop, Manor, Lockhart, Giddings and Brenham during office hours.

Bluebonnet staff members will review all grant applications received by each deadline. The Bluebonnet board’s Member Experience Committee will review the staff’s recommended recipients for grants, and the committee will select finalists to be considered for approval by Bluebonnet’s Board of Directors. Grants may be awarded for less than the amount requested, depending on the number and types of projects being funded.

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves nearly 89,000 meters and owns and maintains 11,000 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County, and from Milam County to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, go to bluebonnet.coop and follow the co-op on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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