Operation Round-Up Reaches $1 Million in Donations! John L. Sims, NEC CEO
The holiday season is the natural time to reflect upon all the things we have to be thankful for. This season, there are many non-profits who are thankful to you, the members of Nueces Electric Cooperative, who generously round-up your electric bills and donate your change to Nueces Charities. This past November, Nueces Charities hit a milestone the Co-op had never dreamed of, $1 million dollars in donations! 100% of the funds donated are returned to the community to target improvements in education, health, hunger, abuse, homelessness and other human services. Operation Round-Up was originally created in 1989 by a fellow electric cooperative in South Carolina. In May of 1995, NEC decided to adopt the program and filed Articles of Incorporation with the Texas Secretary of State to create Nueces Charities, Inc. In the Operation Round-Up program, NEC members volunteer to “round up” their electric bills to the next dollar. Nueces Charities Inc. received the first donations from Operation Round-Up on March 24, 1997, for distribution to area charitable organizations who could serve the members of NEC. 20
Texas Co-op Power NEC December 2014
Initially, the funds supported HALOFlight Air Ambulance Services after the organization battled financial troubles due to a reduction in Government funding. Operation Round-up and its donations virtually saved this vital, lifesaving organization in South Texas. Thanks to Operation Round up, NEC members have now donated over $270,000 to Halo Flight and has provided vital support to over sixty additional organizations. Nation-wide, 252 electric co-ops utilize the program and donate the funds in a variety of ways. Collectively, the spare change has added up to several hundred million dollars in assistance to charitable causes around the country. The help that co-ops have provided through Operation Round Up is an enduring embodiment of the co-op principle of “Concern for Community,” proving year-round—and for more than a quarter of a century—that those are more than just words. Selfless Intent The program’s founders established some key rules for Operation Round Up that the majority of co-ops have followed since. A separate entity (NEC formed Nueces Charities, Inc.) and a trust board, would decide how to disburse the donations. And the assistance
would not be restricted to co-op members but could be provided to anyone or any group within its service territory. Those decisions were intended to remove any doubt about the selfless intent of the program and make clear it would not be manipulated for the coop’s benefit. That approach has proved to be one of Operation Round Up’s greatest strengths, helping to ensure popular support while spreading the benefits far and wide. $6 a Year On average, an NEC Operation Round Up member donates about $6 a year by having his or her bills rounded up. It’s a small amount, but it quickly adds up to approximately $125,000 a year. Co-op members recognize the outsized impact garnered by their small sacrifices. As the program has become established Thank You Members! We would like to send a big ‘thank you’ to all the co-op members who help us help our communities through the Operation Round Up program. If you know of a community 501(c) 3 non-profit who could use a Nueces Charities Grant, please direct them to www.nuecescharities.org to download the application and view the application criteria and deadlines. www.nueceselectric.org