Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. (March 6, 2023) – Cloverland Electric Cooperative members seeking scholarships for schools in the Eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) have the opportunity through Cloverland Cares, the non-profit foundation of the cooperative.
- To support EUP area schools, the scholarship must be used for educational purposes at Lake Superior State University, Bay Mills Community College, Les Cheneaux Culinary School or Great Lakes Boat Building School.
- To support career paths like many at the cooperative, electric utility technology programs offered by Northern Michigan University, Alpena Community College or Lansing Community College are included in the Cloverland Cares scholarship opportunity.
- Cloverland Cares scholarship applications will be evaluated based on financial need, school involvement and achievements, community service and work experience, plus educational and career goals. An essay and supporting letters of recommendation are also required.
- Online applications can be completed on cloverland.com by March 15, 2023.
- Award amounts will be determined based on financial need and available funds.
- Applicant or applicant’s parent or legal guardian must be a member of Cloverland Electric Cooperative.
- There is no age limit, so the scholarship accommodates those returning to school to complete a degree or those pursuing a new career path.
Cloverland Cares received $10,000 funding from CoBank’s Sharing Success program that doubles the contributions of charitable organizations for its clients. CoBank is a financial institution that serves more than 900 cooperatives across the nation. In addition, Cloverland Cares received $5,000 from We Energies Foundation and $2,500 from American Transmission Corporation for the use of scholarships.
Cloverland Electric’s board of directors recently enhanced funding for Cloverland Cares by creating an endowment. A $100,000 donation was made from unclaimed capital credits, which would otherwise be returned to the cooperative.
“The Cloverland Electric board wanted to ensure Cloverland Cares would be sustainable long-term,” said Cloverland Electric’s President and CEO, Mike Heise. “The boost of funding will elevate the support we can extend to benefit our members in many ways.”
The spring 2023 grant cycle is also open to grant requests for food banks within Cloverland Electric’s service territory. Grant request forms and scholarship applications are available on Cloverland.com. Since its inception in 2020, Cloverland Cares has awarded $12,800 to food banks and $16,000 in scholarships to Cloverland Electric members.
“We’re proud of the dollars we’ve circulated throughout our three districts and welcome additional support from our membership,” said Allie Brawley, Cloverland Electric’s Director of Communications & Member Relations, who served as the Cloverland Cares Board President for two years.
To support Cloverland Cares, Cloverland Electric members can opt-in to round up their monthly bill payments. 100 percent of all funds remain and will be divided equally among Cloverland’s three districts to benefit Cloverland members across the EUP. Members can contribute in many ways:
- round up monthly bill to nearest dollar
- designate a specific monthly donation
- designate a one-time donation
- donate present and/or future capital credits.
To enroll, contact member services (1-800-562-4953) or opt-in on cloverland.com or with the free and secure SmartHub app.
Cloverland Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric utility located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. With over 4,000 miles of power line, the cooperative serves over 43,000 meters for 34,000 residential and business members across Chippewa, Delta, Mackinac, Luce and Schoolcraft counties.
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Contact: Allie Brawley, Director, Communications & Member Relations, 906-203-0838/abrawley@cloverland.com