From the windows of Trey Teaff’s corner office at Wood County Electric, three beneficiaries of Operation Round Up can be sighted. Across the street at Hogg Park are the new basketball court and musical playground. Beyond the park the Arboretum can be counted as another beneficiary, as is the Forever Young Activity Center just down the street.

Teaff, the general manager of Wood County Electric, could not be more pleased with how the Operation Round Up has unfolded in the cooperative’s nine-county service area.

“Operation Round Up reinforces the commitment to community which is one of the pillars of our co-op,” Teaff stated.

The concept of Operation Round Up is remarkably simple. As the name suggests, the sponsoring entity – in this case Wood County Electric – rounds up each bill to the next full dollar. The added change is then collected into a trust. 

A non-profit organization, the Wood County Electric Charitable Foundation (WCECF), then dispenses the monies twice a year in response to applications received from other non-profit organizations. 

It is an operation which benefits from the economies of scale. Teaff and Director of Communications Paige Eaton summarized the unique characteristics of the program. They explained that the “loose change” which rounds up to the next dollar may seem small, but with the huge number of co-op customers, it adds up quickly. 

The program was well-considered before introduction and widely-advertised.

“We had a blizzard of publicity to both generate excitement for the program and explain the specifics,” Eaton said. Press releases, community meetings, letters and public announcements facilitated the start-up. 

Reassuring co-op members and describing the requirements of the program were critical to public acceptance, Eaton explained. Three specific aspects of the program merit mentioning.

The board of directors which manages the WCECF is completely separate from the board which manages Wood County Electric Co-op. No one serves on both boards. 

Secondly, the award of funds must be in response to a specifically-crafted application from a non-profit organization.

Teaff noted, “The more specific the application, the greater the likelihood that it will be granted.”  

Lastly, there is a follow-up requirement to ensure that the dispensed funds did, in fact, result in the improvements or results for which they were requested. 

Just how beneficial has the program been to the residents of the co-op’s service area? Now in its fourth year of operation, the WCECF has dispensed $403,707. From corrective foundation work at the Fouke Community Center to Meals on Wheels to the Texas Ramp Project, the initiative is improving the lives of area residents. 

Two specific cases do require further explanation.

As Eaton described, “At the initial disbursement of funds back in 2018, we needed a way to broadcast the initiative and had not yet had any requests, so the board decided to award the initial proceeds to the 33 volunteer fire departments which serve our members.” 

From that point on, the foundation began to receive regular requests. 

The other unique case was this past year during the pandemic. As most social organizations had curtailed activity, the board once again acted unilaterally and voted to dispense the collected funds to food banks throughout the service area. Fourteen food banks received funding at the height of the pandemic.  

The WCECF board of directors has seven members, one from each of the WCEC’s regions. The board members are Marti Busbee, Yantis; Emile Pugh Clifford, Grand Saline; Jeannette Giles, Winnsboro; Robin Johnson, Quitman; Manzell Manley, Ben Wheeler; David Maxton, Mt. Vernon; and Wiley E. Vonner, Hawkins.

The board dispenses grants in the spring and fall. This biennial distribution ensures the timely return of everyone’s small change back to the community. It is the objective of the board to do the most good and fill the most urgent local needs.

The foundation is somewhat dependent on the submission of grant applications. The original public relations push advertising the program has morphed into an informative session which highlights exactly how to request a grant.

The board is now accepting applications for September’s distribution.

While the application process is certainly not arduous, it does require some planning and estimating. The return, however, is quick and consistent.

As Teaff described, “Fairness is one of our foundational principles.”

Arithmetic underlies the effectiveness of a large number of contributors offering a few coins each month. Although the concept would appear to be easily copied, it takes a lot of contributors to make the foundation worthwhile. 

Wood County Electric based its program on the Palmetto Electric Cooperative of Hardeeville, S.C., which was the first of its kind. Palmetto Co-op established their Operation Round Up in 1989. Since then, numerous cooperatives have modeled their program accordingly. 

While WCECF obtained legal authority to use the name Operation Round Up and the emblem, the mechanics of the program itself were determined solely by WCEC.

The success realized over the past four years indicates that the program designers got it right.

For any organization considering such a program, Teaff offered two recommendations. “Define a purpose for the organization,” he stated, “and put a well-considered structure in place.”

Of course, the givers make it all work. As Teaff reiterated, “None of this good would be possible without the generosity of our members.”