PEC opens enrollment for nonprofit grants

BOERNE — Pedernales Electric Cooperative is accepting applications for community grants and encourages nonprofits across PEC’s service area to apply for up to $5,000 grants through Oct. 18.

PEC awards community grants to help nonprofits fund important projects that help improve our communities. Nonprofits that receive these funds can use them to support projects related to technology, capital improvements and energy efficiency.

“Our much-anticipated grants have reopened and we’re looking forward to awarding funds that will help our community flourish for years to come,” said Celeste Mikeska, PEC community relations manager.

The grants are made possible through the help of PEC members enrolled in the Cooperative’s Power of Change Program. By joining, members can opt to have their bills rounded up to the nearest dollar each month for charity or they can make a onetime contribution.

Since PEC’s Power of Change Program launched in 2016, members have donated more than $825,000 to benefit area nonprofits, as well as PEC’s Employee United Charities, area education foundations, PEC’s Member Assistance Program, PEC’s youth education programs and other deserving projects to help strengthen our communities.

“Thank you to our members who are already enrolled in Power of Change for rounding up and giving back,” Mikeska said. “For those who haven’t joined, we encourage you to consider this small way to give back because by working together as a Cooperative, we can show our strength and make a significant impact right here at home.”

In 2023, Hays County Crime Stoppers received a grant from PEC to expand its EZ Child Identification program. The grant was used to purchase a second system to provide free digital fingerprinting, photos and video child identification kits to families.

The kits quickly work by providing first responders with information about a missing child rapidly so that information can be shared to assist in recovery and reunification of a child with their family.

The average donation for members who join and round-up is less than $6 per year, or 50 cents per month.

Learn more about PEC’s Power of Change Program and enroll today at pec.coop/change. To apply for a PEC grant, visit pec.coop/grants.