La Plata Electric Association’s Round Up Foundation Board funded 52 grants in 2022 totaling $163,128 for non-profit organizations in La Plata and Archuleta counties. This is an increase from 2021 when the board approved 38 grants totaling $118,754.
“We are so grateful to LPEA and the Round Up program for the support we've received at Animas High School,” said Libby Cowles, Dean of Enrollment and Community Outreach at Animas High School. “The funding allowed us to outfit the MakerSpace and AudioLab in our brand-new campus at Fort Lewis College with state-of-the-art equipment so our students can build, create and record beautiful, professional quality work that demonstrates their learning.”
Round Up Foundation grants are made possible by the generosity of LPEA members who choose to round up their electric bill each month to the next highest dollar. An additional $60,000 in unclaimed LPEA Capital Credits is also provided annually to the Round Up Foundation Board, on behalf of the LPEA Board of Directors, to support these grants.
Recipients of the 2022 grants (in alphabetical order) were:
- 4 The Children, Animas High School
- Aspire Medical Services and Education
- Boys to Men
- Community Treehouse
- Dancing Spirits Arts Gallery
- Durango 9R Athletics
- Durango Cowboy Gathering
- Durango Education Foundation
- Durango High School
- Durango Instrumental Music Booster Club
- Durango Nordic Ski Club
- Durango PlayFest
- Early Childhood Council of Archuleta County
- Foundation for Archuleta County Education
- Friends of the Ignacio Community Library
- HomesFund
- Housing Solutions of Southwest
- iAM Music
- In the Weeds
- KUTE Public Radio
- La Plata County Historical Society
- La Plata Family Centers Coalition
- La Plata Open Space Conservancy
- La Plata Youth Services
- Manna Soup Kitchen
- Music in the Mountains
- Pine River Shares
- Riverhouse Children's Center
- San Juan Mountain SOLES
- San Juan Symphony
- Seed Studio
- Silver Spruce Academy
- Southwest Civic Winds
- Southwest Organization for Sustainability
- The Animas Alano Club
- The Arc of Southwest Colorado
- The Hive DGO
- The Ignacio Creative District
- The Liberty School
- Thingamajig Theater Company
- Upper San Juan Search and Rescue
- Veterans Memorial Park Charitable Foundation
- Weasel Skinners 4-H Club
- Wings Early Childhood Center
- Women's Resource Center in Durango
A percentage of Round Up Foundation funds is also distributed to community assistance programs each year. In 2022, the Round Up Foundation allocated $25,804 to the Community Emergency Assistance Coalition and $9,017 to the Pagosa Outreach Connection to provide families and individuals with emergency assistance funds.
Grants are available to 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 donate more each month if they would like to contribute additional money to local non-profits automatically.