Wood County Electric Cooperative Operation Round Up Grants – March 2027

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Grants Supporting Community Organizations Across Nine Northeast Texas Counties

The Wood County Electric Charitable Foundation provides Operation Round Up grants to nonprofit and community-serving organizations throughout Wood County Electric Cooperative’s nine-county service territory in Northeast Texas. Funding supports specific future projects and community needs, including food assistance, public safety, child welfare, health and wellness, libraries, arts, recreation, and economic development.

Organization: Wood County Electric Charitable Foundation
Program: Operation Round Up
Support Type: Charitable grants
Geographic Focus: Camp, Franklin, Hopkins, Rains, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties, Texas
Deadline: March 15, 2027
Funding Amount: Not publicly capped; recent grants have ranged from approximately $3,000–$10,000 and above

About the Funder

Wood County Electric Cooperative established Operation Round Up to allow participating members to round their monthly electric bills up to the next whole dollar.

Those small contributions are transferred to the independent Wood County Electric Charitable Foundation, which uses the funds to support charitable projects and organizations serving communities within the cooperative’s territory.

Since launching the program, the Foundation has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to local organizations across Northeast Texas.

What This Program Supports

The Foundation considers a broad range of community-serving requests.

Examples include:

Food Security & Basic Needs

Funding may support:

Food banks
Food pantries
Meal programs
Basic-needs assistance
Programs serving individuals and families experiencing hardship

Public Safety & Emergency Services

Volunteer fire departments and other emergency-service organizations may request support for:

Safety equipment
Emergency-response resources
Community safety initiatives

Children & Youth

Eligible projects may include:

Child welfare programs
Child advocacy
Youth development
Educational enrichment
Programs supporting foster children or vulnerable youth

Health & Wellness

The Foundation may support:

Health-focused nonprofits
Mental and behavioral health programs
Disability services
Community wellness initiatives

Libraries, Museums & Arts

Funding may support organizations such as:

Libraries
Museums
Performing arts organizations
Cultural institutions
Community arts programs

Parks & Recreation

Eligible requests may include projects benefiting:

Parks
Recreation facilities
Community playgrounds
Public recreational activities

Economic & Community Development

The Foundation may also consider economic development organizations and other projects designed to strengthen local communities.

Eligible Organizations

Applicants generally must:

Serve communities and residents within WCEC’s nine-county service territory
Have current 501(c)(3) status, or otherwise operate in a nonprofit manner serving the public without discrimination
Submit a clearly defined request for a future project or event
Provide required organizational and financial documentation

For-profit organizations are not eligible.

Geographic Eligibility

Organizations must primarily serve residents in Wood County Electric Cooperative’s nine-county service territory:

Camp County
Franklin County
Hopkins County
Rains County
Smith County
Titus County
Upshur County
Van Zandt County
Wood County

Organizations outside the service area generally are not eligible unless the project provides a direct benefit to a significant number of WCEC members.

Funding Amounts

The Foundation does not publish a formal minimum or maximum grant amount.

Recent awards demonstrate a range of funding levels. One recent grant cycle included awards from approximately $3,000 to $10,000, while earlier awards have included larger grants for specific high-impact community needs.

Applicants should request an amount supported by a detailed project budget and vendor estimates.

Ineligible Requests

Operation Round Up generally does not fund:

For-profit entities
Debt retirement
Endowments
Capital projects
Retroactive expenses
Salaries
Scholarship programs or individual scholarships
Individual or group registration fees
Field trips or camp fees
Political causes or lobbying
Advertising
Religious projects primarily benefiting a specific denomination
Repairs or improvements to private property
Uniforms
Personal athletic equipment
General team or club sponsorships
Requests without a clearly defined project or purpose

Religious organizations may be considered when the proposed project benefits the broader public regardless of religious affiliation.

Application Limit

Only one application per organization per year will be considered.

Organizations should therefore select their highest-priority project when applying.

Required Application Materials

Applicants must provide:

Completed official grant application
IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, when applicable
Copies of the organization’s two most recent IRS Form 990s
Relevant brochures, project descriptions, or supporting materials
Project budget
Vendor quotes or estimates
Signature of an authorized organizational representative
Copy of the organization’s nondiscrimination policy

Requests without clear financial documentation or a defined project purpose will not be considered.

Application Timeline

📅 Spring Application Deadline: March 15, 2027

Applications are reviewed twice each year:

March 15 → Spring review
August 15 → Fall review

Applications received after a deadline are held for the next scheduled review.

Applicants should allow sufficient time for review; notification may take up to approximately four months from submission.

Application / Request Process

Applicants should download and complete the official Operation Round Up Application and submit it with all required supporting documentation.

Applications may be submitted by email, mail, or hand delivery according to WCEC’s published instructions.

Strong applications should clearly explain:

The community need being addressed
Specific project or event
Population served
Amount requested
Total project budget
How grant funds will be used
Expected community benefit
Supporting quotes or financial documentation

Apply / Learn More:
➡️ https://www.wcec.org/community/operation-round-up/

Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit

This opportunity may be particularly relevant for organizations that:

Serve one or more of WCEC’s nine Northeast Texas counties
Have a specific future project rather than a general operating request
Provide food or basic-needs services
Support children and families
Operate volunteer fire or emergency-response services
Provide health or disability services
Operate libraries, museums, arts programs, or recreation facilities
Can provide a clear project budget and supporting vendor quotes

The broad range of eligible community needs makes Operation Round Up especially useful for smaller and locally focused Northeast Texas nonprofits.

Corporate Grants Guide Notes

Deadline: March 15, 2027
Additional Deadline: August 15
Funding Amount: Not publicly capped; recent awards commonly range in the several-thousand-dollar range
Geographic Focus: Camp, Franklin, Hopkins, Rains, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties, Texas
Application Limit: One application per organization annually
Support Type: Project-specific charitable grants
Best Suited For: Local nonprofits, food banks, volunteer fire departments, child welfare organizations, health groups, libraries, museums, arts organizations, parks, and economic development organizations

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