The People Fund FAQ

The People Fund is a community service program that provides funding for charitable and benevolent purposes for individuals, families and organizations in our community.

The People Fund is designed to help meet needs where other funding or assistance is unavailable. Funding could be used to help provide shelter, food or clothing to a family devastated by a fire, or it could help ease the cost of a specialized wheelchair for a neighbor who can’t afford one. Funds could also help a fire department obtain critical, lifesaving equipment or help stock a local food bank. There are many possibilities!

No. Though Consolidated members are our focus, The People Fund does consider and accept applications from anyone who is a part of the communities touched by our service territory.

Download an application and find guidelines here, or visit one of our offices to receive a paper copy. Applications are accepted throughout the year, but decisions are made at quarterly meetings.

The majority of the funding for The People Fund comes from Operation Round Up®. Additional funding comes from fundraisers, special events, and donations.

Operation Round Up is a program adopted by hundreds of electric cooperatives throughout the country. This program rounds up a member’s monthly bill to the next dollar, and sends the extra change directly to The People Fund. For example, a $64.79 bill would be rounded to $65.00 and the remaining 21 cents would be donated to The People Fund. The average participant donates an average of about 50 cents a month or about $6 a year.

Your spare change makes a big difference, and the funding goes directly towards meeting needs in your community. Each participating member donates less than a dollar every month, but that turns into thousands of dollars when our members all pool their spare change together. Every single penny of your contribution is tax deductible and goes toward helping local people in need and organizations or programs that are dedicated to helping your communities thrive.

Yes, all donations to The People Fund are tax deductible.

The People Fund is overseen by a board of community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to manage this important program. Our board consists of five local individuals, one each from Morrow and Delaware County social services, an individual in banking, an individual from an educational institution, and a Consolidated trustee. This board reviews all requests and makes funding decisions.

For individuals, The People Fund Board does not give funds directly. Instead, they handle the purchasing of requested items or work with contractors/businesses to oversee the completion of the grant request. Organizations that receive grants are required to provide receipts and photographs that prove the appropriate use of funds.

Yes, The People Fund Board does examine the applicant’s (individual or organization) overall financial situation before making grant decisions. There are not set requirements for an individual or organization’s financial situation to qualify; all requests are handled on a case-by-case basis.

Individuals and organizations can only receive funds once in a 12-month rolling period. Funding limits are determined by the board based on the number of requests received and the amount of funding available.