Dakota Electric Association, along with CoBank, one of its lenders, recently donated $20,000 to three community organizations. 360 Communities received $10,000, and Dakota Woodlands and Hastings Family Services received $5,000 each.
360 Communities received a $10,000 check from CoBank and Dakota Electric recently. From L-R: David Jones, Dakota Electric director, Laurie Bolin, 360 Communities director of development; Jeffrey Mortensen, 360 Communities president & CEO; John Donner with CoBank.
Dakota Electric’s donations were matched by CoBank through the company’s “Sharing Success” grant program. 360 Communities provides hope and support to more than 16,000 individuals each year from over 45 locations providing a variety of programs, including food shelves, violence prevention and intervention, educational support and more.
Dakota Woodlands is dedicated to providing a pathway to sustainable and independent housing for homeless women and families. Located in Eagan, Dakota Woodlands can assist 22 homeless families at one time with housing and training that includes life skills, financial literacy and personal wellness. After leaving the shelter, over 92% of the residents who participate in the full program succeed in staying stably housed.
Hastings Family Services provides a wide range of client services including operating a food pantry and thrift store, providing meals on wheels, transportation and more to families in and around Hastings. In 2020, the Meals on Wheels program provided meals for 129 seniors with 180 volunteers, and Project Share provided gifts for 485 children.
“We are happy to partner with Dakota Electric for ten years through our Sharing Success program and provide such necessary help to quality community organizations in the area,” said John Donner of CoBank.
Chris Koop, executive director at Hastings Family Services receives a representative check from Dakota Electric director David Jones (L) and CoBank representative John Donner (R).
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to double our donation through CoBank’s grant,” said Dakota Electric’s President and CEO Greg Miller. “We are glad that since COVID hit, CoBank has increased its matching grant amount making our donations go even farther.”
Through the matching program, CoBank and cooperatives across the United States, have donated more than $56 million since 2012. Dakota Electric and CoBank have provided $125,000 locally through this program in that time.
A customer-owned, non-profit utility since 1937, Dakota Electric Association provides electricity to more than 111,000 members throughout Dakota County and portions of Goodhue, Rice and Scott counties. Dakota Electric, a Touchstone Energy cooperative, serves its member-owners with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community.
Jennifer Harrison (L), executive director of Dakota Woodlands, receives a representative check for $5,000 from Dakota Electric director Stacy Miller (R).
CoBank is a $160 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 75,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.
