Applications for $5,000 Grant Now Accepted

For the 12th consecutive year, Continental Divide will award a charitable grant of up to $5,000. All 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible, so long as they are located within the co-op's service area and their services directly benefit our members.

Select organizations not designated a 501(c)(3) may also be eligible. These include schools and government entities such as counties or municipalities and their agencies or departments, as long as they use the grant to serve a public purpose consistent with program guidelines listed on the application.

The grant is made possible by the co-op's board of trustees, in partnership with CoBank—a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America.

Annually, Continental Divide contributes $2,500 toward the “Sharing Success” grant. CoBank matches it dollar-for-dollar to bring the total available up to $5,000. This year, applications are due no later than 5 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2023.

Applicants must provide a narrative that describes how the organization intends to use the money and how it will benefit a community or communities in our service area in one or more of the following areas:

• Energy Efficiency and or Renewable Energy: Funds can be used for a project that promotes the efficient use of energy, such as weatherization and for planning, developing or constructing a renewable energy source.

• Education: Funds can be used for a project that benefits K-12 students or students enrolled in an accredited New Mexico college or university in the co-op's service territory.

• Environment: Funds can be used for a project that benefits the environment.

• Economic Development: Funds can be used for a project that promotes or creates economic development.

Applications are reviewed to ensure all conditions are met. Organizations that are political in nature, limit their activities based on religious affiliation or discriminate do not qualify. Continental Divide and CoBank reserve the right to review and determine whether requests are eligible. Continental Divide's board of trustees selects a winner based on recommendations from a committee, which ranks applications by their lasting impact and overall strength.

The application chosen is then sent to CoBank. Upon its approval, Continental Divide notifies the recipient. Full payment is made within 60 days.

Because the CoBank matching-grant money is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, the co-op reserves the right to bump up the deadline to ensure full funding is available for the grant recipient selected.

“We encourage potential applicants to inform us of their intention to apply," says Mac Juarez, Continental Divide's member services manager. "We can then attempt to notify these organizations, if the deadline changes."

Applications can be downloaded at www.cdec.coop. For more information, contact the co-op at 505-285-6656 or email memberservices@cdec.coop.

Free safety publications are available for service-area youth!

May

is National Electrical Safety Month, and Continental Divide celebrates annually by offering free safety publications to elementary school students. These publications cover the basics of indoor and outdoor electrical safety through simple text, friendly characters and pictures. They are age-appropriate and available on a first call, first-served basis to schools and parents in our service area.

It’s an important time of year to address safety topics with children, because summer is right around the corner and children will be out of school and spending more time at home and outside. In addition to these resources, we offer free electrical safety publications to homeowners and renters. If you are interested in obtaining these publications, contact our Member Services Department at 505-285-6656.

Safety-Poster Contest Winners

Serinithy Rivera, a third grade student at Mesa View Elementary School in Grants, is the overall first-place winner of the 2023 safety-poster coloring contest.

Second place is DeHayven Martin, a fourth grade student at St. Joseph Mission School in San Fidel.

Third place is Jeramya Zavala, a second grade student at Rehobeth Christian School.

Continental Divide awarded the three winners $75, $50 and $25, respectively. Winners from each of the 20 participating schools received T-shirts.

Editor's Note

Thismonth's enchantment includes our 2022 Fiscal Year Annual Report. The annual report is typically included in the June enchantment.

The New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association will not publish a June edition of enchantment magazine. You can expect standard delivery of your July edition.

For a full report on our April 29th annual meeting, including results of our proposed bylaw amendment and district elections, visit www.cdec.coop.

Our Grants office is now at 1821 Clif Lear Ave. (west of the Grants Senior Center) We can still be reached by phone at 505-285-6656.

Continental Divide would like to thank everyone who registered and attended this year's meeting.