At Medina Electric Cooperative, supporting the people and places we serve goes far beyond providing reliable power. Through two grant programs—the Community Empowerment Program and Sharing Success—we invest in local organizations that make a lasting difference across our 17-county service area. Learn more about each of these grant opportunities below.
Community Empowerment Program
Grants are awarded to local governments and non-profit groups such as civic organizations, schools, volunteer fire departments, libraries, emergency medical services, museums and historical associations.
How the Program Works
We invite local non-profit organizations to apply for the Community Empowerment Program grants.
- Apply: Local 501(c)(3) nonprofits and community organizations use the link below to apply for CEP grants (max: $2,000).
- The nomination period is December 1 - February 1.
- Applications will be reviewed by committee April and awarded in May.
- The nomination period is December 1 - February 1.
- Grants: Medina EC provides grants with a maximum of $2,000.
- The typical grant is $400 – $1,000 (Most common award: $500)
- The board has approved up to $10,000 in grants to be awarded for 2027. Applications are closed. Check back in December to apply.
- A photo op will be scheduled with Medina EC
- The typical grant is $400 – $1,000 (Most common award: $500)
- Economic Development: Improve the quality and reach of services critical to community development—including education, public safety, health care, recreation, and infrastructure.
Is Your Organization and Project Eligible?
Read more about eligible organizations and projects in the accordion below.
Eligible Organizations:
- Local governments
- Civic organizations
- Volunteer fire departments
- Emergency medical services
- Schools
- Libraries
- Museums/Historical associations
- Other non-profits
Eligible Projects:
- The organization and project must operate within one or more of the 17 counties served by Medina EC.
- Projects must be for capital improvements, which includes vehicles.
- Organization must be the property owner where the project is located.
- The project must be maintained for the public purpose of which the grant was awarded.
- The application must be signed by the chief executive officer or administrator of the organization requesting the grant, such as a city manager, executive director, general manager, board president or school superintendent.
Ineligible Organizations:
- For-profit organizations
- Individuals
- Professional associations
- Non-profit organizations limited to group membership
Ineligible Projects or Expenses:
- Completed projects
- Program operating costs
- Seminars and conference fees
- Appliances
- Office equipment
- Members-only facilities
- Land acquisition projects
- Debt-reduction campaigns
- Involving direct distribution of funds or items
- One-time events
- Most functions carried out by a taxing entity
A detailed budget summary with itemized costs and funding sources is required. Be sure to include:
- A breakdown of project costs (include vendor quotes or estimates)
- A financial statement (a copy of balance sheet or current bank statement)
- *Applicant's contribution or matching funds
- *Federal, state or municipal funding
- *Local Funding
- *In-kind contributions - Goods or services offered free or at less than the usual charge result in an in-kind contribution.
- *Other funding
*Indicate whether funds are projected, requested, already committed or raised. Include documentation
Budget Summary Sample
Budget summary must be broken out in the format below.
CEP funds column = amount you are requesting that the CEP Grant funds from Medina EC will cover.
Organization Funds column = amount your organization will contribute. This includes in-kind contributions and documentation is required.
| EXPENSES | CEP FUNDS | ORGANIZATION FUNDS | TOTAL |
| A/C UNIT | $800 | $1,700 | $2,500 |
| Electric Wiring | $200 | $2,500 | $2,700 |
| Steel for Slab | $1,000 | - | $1,000 |
| Metal Building | - | $9,000 | $9,000 |
| In-kind Contributions | |||
| Brush County Concrete | $4,000 | $4,000 | |
| CEP Grant | $2,000 | ||
| Matching/In-Kind Share | $17,200 | ||
| Total Project Cost | $19,200 |
Sharing Success
Through the Sharing Success program, CoBank matches Medina EC’s donations dollar-for-dollar. This means every contribution we make has double the power to improve the quality of life across our 17-county service area and beyond.
Over $215,000 Donated Since 2012
Since joining the Sharing Success program, Medina EC and CoBank have combined to give back over $215,000 to the nonprofits and charitable causes that keep our communities strong.
How the Program Works
We invite our members and local organizations to help us identify the next round of recipients.
-
Nominate: Use the link below to nominate a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit or community organization.
-
The nomination period is January 1 - February 23.
-
Nominations will be reviewed and selected in March.
-
-
Match: If selected, Medina EC provides a donation of up to $15,000, which is then matched by CoBank.
-
The max total donation is $15,000, however the average per organization is usually between $3,000-$10,000.
-
A minimum of one organization will be selected, and a max of four will be selected.
-
The receiving organization(s) will be required to complete online paperwork through CoBank to finalize the donation process.
-
A photo op will be scheduled with Medina EC
-
-
Empower: These funds go directly to work in our communities, supporting education, emergency services, human advocacy, and economic development.
Is Your Organization Eligible?
To qualify for a Medina EC Sharing Success matching grant, the nominee must:
-
Be a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
-
Provide services within Medina EC’s service territory.
-
Provide support to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve.
