The La Plata Electric Round Up Foundation Board approved a total of $21,400 in grant funding to local non-profit organizations at its meetings in December 2020 and January 2021. Annie’s Orphans, the Salvation Army’s Durango office, Archuleta Seniors, Inc., Fort Lewis College Engineering and Physics students, the Be Frank Foundation, the Cancer Coalition of Southwest Colorado, and Music in the Mountains will receive funding as part of these two grant cycles.

Round Up Foundation grants are made possible, in part, by the generosity of La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) members who choose to round up their electric bill each month to the next highest dollar. $60,000 in unclaimed LPEA capital credits are also provided annually to the La Plata Electric Round Up Foundation Board, on behalf of the LPEA Board of Directors, to support these monthly grants.

Grants are available to all registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in La Plata and Archuleta counties, and usually range from $500 to $5,000. Application forms are available at lpea.coop/grant-programs.

LPEA members wishing to round up their bill can sign up on SmartHub or at lpea.coop/round-foundation. The average LPEA member contribution is just $6.00 annually. Members can also elect to automatically donate more each month if they would like to contribute additional money to local non-profits.

Established in 1997, the La Plata Electric Round Up Foundation is a non-profit, community-support fund for organizations and individuals in LPEA’s service territory. A local, eleven-member, volunteer board reviews applications and allocates funds. 100% of the tax-deductible donations stay in the communities LPEA serves.