Sioux Valley Energy and its members are making an impact in their local communities. During the most recent quarterly meeting of the Sioux Valley Energy Customers’ Trust Board of Directors, $20,300 in grants were awarded by the Cooperative’s Operation Round Up® program. An additional $5,000 was reserved for scholarships.
Recipients included:
Arlington, South Dakota
Arlington Area Chamber of Commerce – $750 in funding to help install vinyl pole banners along Highway 14/81 corridor highlighting local businesses, events, amenities, local heroes and city history. Vinyl window decals on vacant store fronts depicting city history will also be purchased.
Brandon, South Dakota
Allison’s Dance Academy – $500 to offset costs for competition-level dancers to travel to NYC to participate in Broadway dance classes from industry professionals.
Brandon Volunteer Fire Department – $1,500 to purchase a digital fire extinguisher training system.
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings Behavioral Health & Wellness at the Ivy Center – $1,000 to support the Systems of Care (SOC) program.
Family Back 2 School Project – $1,500 to purchase backpacks, school supplies, personal hygiene items, and a voucher for a new pair of shoes.
Flandreau, South Dakota
Flandreau Elementary PBIS – $1,000 to purchase items for the SOAR store and items for SOAR days to help promote positive social skills within our youth.
Hills, Minnesota
Rock Ranch – $700 to purchase banquet tables, tablecloths, chairs, and table/chair carts to accommodate larger groups requesting to use facility.
Madison, South Dakota
Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership, Inc. – $1,000 to support the operation expenses of the Encore Family store in Madison to assist families with low income in Lake County and surrounding areas.
Lake Madison Development Association – $1,000 to complete the construction of the recreation trail around Lake Madison.
Rock and Pipestone Counties, Minnesota
SWWC Foundation for Innovation in Education – $1,000 to help keep registration fees affordable to cover presenter and judge fees/expenses, student supplies for events, and event facility rent.
Pipestone, Minnesota
Pipestone Senior Citizens Center – $1,000 to help purchase supplies, postage, snacks, and beverages for activities.
Progress, Inc – $1,000 to help upgrade the kitchen.
The Al Opland Singers– $500 funding to help offset costs at the Pipestone Performing Arts Center due to increasing costs of utilities and maintenance.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Junior Achievement of South Dakota – $2,100 to connect students to their communities through relevant experiences, envisioning the world where young people possess the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.
Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern SD – $1,250 to purchase gifts for children attending the special "Christmas at the Cathedral" event for guests from Bishop Dudley House, St. Francis House, and the Banquet.
Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons – $1,000 to support the scholarship fund, to help girls have access to opportunities, support, and sisterhood to thrive through Girl Scouts.
Health Connect of South Dakota – $1,000 to support health activities at the 2025 Health Connect Festival. Funds will be used for flu shot vaccines, kidney and blood glucose screenings, as well as oral and skin cancer screenings.
The Community Outreach – $1,000 to help fund the Sharing Christmas Store in December. Funds will be used for toys/gifts for children.
Veterans Community Project of Sioux Falls – $1,500 in funding to support general operations.
More than $2.5 million has been donated to area non-profits, schools, and communities since the year 2000 when Sioux Valley Energy started its Operation Round Up® (ORU) program. The program is simple – participating members “round up” their electric bill to the next high dollar and those “rounded up” funds are placed into a trust. Additionally, many Sioux Valley Energy employees donate from their paycheck each month. Each quarter the Operation Round Up Board of Trustees meets to review applications and consider grant requests.
A list of recent grant recipients, as well as information on how local organizations can apply for funding, can be found at https://www.siouxvalleyenergy.com/operation-round-up
The next deadline to apply for funding is November 20 with grants being awarded in December.
Sioux Valley Energy, a Touchstone Energy® Cooperative, is a member-owned electric utility, providing reliable electric service at cost-based rates to nearly 30,000 homes, farms, businesses, and industries in a seven-county area of east-central South Dakota and western Minnesota.
*Photo above courtesy Family Back 2 School Project
