Concern for Community Grants

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative’s Concern for Community program provides grants of up to $5,000 for capital improvement projects throughout the Heartland service area.

Eligibility

To qualify for a grant, a project must fit within one of the following categories:

County Fairs

  • Projects related to county fairs in the Heartland service area, with a focus on infrastructure projects and other projects that are not supported by normal fair sponsorships

Schools

  • Schools within the cooperative’s service area that have capital campaigns for facilities that would positively impact Heartland consumer-members

Non-Profit Organizations

  • Non-profit organizations undergoing capital campaigns with facilities that focus on education, environment, culture and the arts, and civic and community development that would positively impact Heartland consumer-members

Other Projects

  • Other projects that better the communities in or surrounding the cooperative’s service area, as authorized by the board

How Are Grants Funded?

  • Funds for Heartland’s Concern for Community Grants come from the cooperative’s unclaimed capital credit retirement checks
  • Because that money was intended to support the local community, Heartland’s Board of Directors has decided to use those funds for community grants
  • Grant money does not come from cooperative revenues and the issuing of grants will not impact future rates or capital credit allocations

How Are Grants Awarded?

  • Applications will be scored by Heartland staff members
  • The top-scoring applications will be given to the Heartland Board of Directors for final selection and approval in October
  • Funds will be distributed in November
  • In keeping with Heartland’s goal of encouraging sustainable development, preference will be given to collaborative projects receiving support from other sources

Applying for a Grant

  • Applications are accepted during a defined application period each year
  • Applications for this year’s Concern for Community Grants will be accepted from September 1 through 30, 2022
  • The 2022 application deadline has passed

If you have any questions, reach out to Doug Graham at (620) 724-5526 or email Doug.