Here’s how Operation Round Up (ORU) works:
If your bill is $75.72, we round it up to $76.00 — with the extra 28¢ going directly to the Operation Round Up® Trust Fund. When combined with the spare change from thousands of generous MVEC members, those pennies add up to a big impact in our local communities.
Since 1995, MVEC’s Operation Round Up has distributed more than $2.6 million to support local fire departments, women’s shelters, youth programs, social services, food shelves, and many other worthwhile causes.
Request ORU funding
Money contributed to Operation Round Up (ORU) is administered by a tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation called the Minnesota Valley Electric Trust. The Trust is separate from MVEC and governed by a nine-person, volunteer Board of Directors.
Contributions are generally not made for:
- lobbying, political and religious organizations
- veteran, fraternal, and labor organizations
- fundraising dinners or raffles
- national fund drives
See the 4th Quarter recipients of $37,225
| Organization | Purpose of Funds | Amount Distributed |
|---|---|---|
| Aging Services for Communities | Volunteer expenses and supplies | $500.00 |
| Angel Foundation | Emergency Financial Assistance | $1,500.00 |
| Angels Among Us | Fundraising event | $1,500.00 |
| Arlington Chamber of Commerce | Arli-Dazzle winter celebration | $500.00 |
| Belle Plaine Backpack Program | Backpack program | $500.00 |
| Belle Plaine Food Shelf | Food | $500.00 |
| Belle Plaine Historical Society | Purchase scanner | $629.00 |
| Bountiful Basket Food Shelf | Food | $500.00 |
| BrainPower in a BackPack | Backpack program | $500.00 |
| Campfire MN | Summer camp scholarships | $1,500.00 |
| City of Shakopee – Fire Department | Purchase turnout pants and coats | $4,000.00 |
| Central Elementary School | Backpack program | $500.00 |
| Central Elementary School | Field trip transportation | $426.00 |
| Cologne Fire Department | Purchase firefighting gear | $3,966.00 |
| Every Meal | Food | $500.00 |
| Green Isle Lions | Community Connect Meal | $500.00 |
| Harriet Bishop Elementary Service Club | Community Events | $1,500.00 |
| Jordan Area Food Shelf | Food | $500.00 |
| Jordan Family Outreach | Funding for holiday gifts | $500.00 |
| Jordan Fire Department | Medical-grade infrared sauna | $1,500.00 |
| Jordan Lions | Jordan Food Basket Program | $500.00 |
| Jordan Middle School | Field trip transportation | $720.00 |
| Jordan Public Schools | Go Buckets for classrooms and offices | $500.00 |
| Le Center Area Fire Commission | Purchase 4 new pagers | $1,000.00 |
| Le Center Food Shelf | Food | $500.00 |
| Le Sueur Community Education | Chromebooks for Adult Basic Education | $600.00 |
| Le Sueur County Adopt-a-Family | Purchase Christmas presents | $500.00 |
| Le Sueur Food Shelf | Food | $500.00 |
| Lonsdale Area Food Shelf | Food | $500.00 |
| Minnesota K9 Search Specialists | Vet services and volunteer training | $250.00 |
| Montgomery Svaty Mikulas Committee | Entertainers for the Svaty Mikulas | $1,000.00 |
| Peace Center | Food | $500.00 |
| People Reaching Out to Other People | Food | $500.00 |
| ProAct, Inc. | Water filling station | $500.00 |
| Relate Counseling Center | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy supplies | $500.00 |
| Rotary Club of Le Sueur | Backpack program | $500.00 |
| Saint John The Baptist Catholic School | Field trip transportation | $384.00 |
| Shakopee Ed Endowment Foundation | Field trip transportation | $1,000.00 |
| Sibley County Foodshare | Food | $500.00 |
| Sleep in Heavenly Peace | 50 twin-size mattresses | $1,500.00 |
| Teuby/2B Continued | Teen Mental Health First Aid | $1,250.00 |
| The Well TreeHouse Network | Launch new location at LSH | $1,000.00 |
| Treasures in Town | Project Connect | $500.00 |
| Total Quarter 4 Distributions: $37,225.00 |
Deadlines to apply are 4 p.m. on the last day of January, April, July, and October.
Trustee Board Members
- Connie Meeker of Green Isle
- Diana Brenke of Belle Plaine
- Dwayne Glenn of Lakeville
- Jamie Paget of Savage
- Jeanne Zwart of Elysian
- Jill Sims of Savage
- John Miller of Henderson
- Mary Krentz of Henderson
- Mike Stapf of Prior Lake
Examples of ORU grant recipients
