Thank you to those who contribute to Community Connection!
Your donations have funded over $1.4 million in grants to improve our community!
Butler Rural Community Connection provides grants to local non-profit groups and organizations in portions of Butler, Montgomery, Preble and Hamilton counties.
Funds for the program come from cooperative members and employees who voluntarily contribute to Community Connection each month. Some members choose to allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded to the next dollar amount, and the extra change is allocated to Community Connection. Other members and employees choose to donate a specific amount each month, or give a one-time donation.
Learn more about Community Connection below.
Any non-profit group or organization located within Butler Rural Electric Cooperative's service territory is eligible to apply. Those who cannot apply for grants include political candidates and political parties. Organizations or groups who intend to use the grant money to pay their utility bills are not eligible to apply.
The maximum grant amount is $5,000. However, no request is too small. You may have additional pages with the application. Please do not exceed five pages. Please provide six copies of the application and any supporting material (up to five pages total).
- Include a list of the itemized costs for the project. A portion of the amount requested may be awarded if the Community Connection board of trustees choose not to fund the entire grant.
- If you are requesting a specific type of equipment, include a picture or description of the item. Many groups include advertisements from vendors that list the price and description of the item they need. This will not commit you to a specific vendor.
- Grants for Apple devices must be purchased by your organization or grant recipient. Butler Rural Community Connection will directly reimburse your organization or the purchaser.
- The Community Connection board of trustees reviews all applications.
- Funds are awarded in September and March of each year. The meeting date is posted on the cooperative's website as soon as it is decided. You will be contacted by letter after the meeting. The grant winners are also posted on the cooperative's website.
The next Community Connection application deadline is August 30, 2023. The Community Connection Board of Trustees will meet September 13 to award spring grants.
Please use one of the applications below to submit grant requests.
Click here for a Community Connection application for fire departments and emergency management services.
Click here for a Community Connection application for non-profit organizations.
Click here for a Community Connection application for schools.
Five Butler Rural Electric Cooperative members serve on the Community Connection board of trustees. Each board member lives in different areas of the cooperative’s service territory and has diverse backgrounds and experiences. These members volunteer their time to serve on the Community Connection board and have a drive to do something positive for the community. They review hundreds of grant applications each year.
From left is Tom Laming, Janet Jewell, John Hofmann, Monica Neeley, and Don Kidd.
The Butler Rural Community Connection Board of Trustees met on March 15, 2023 and awarded $39,953 in grants to the following organizations and groups.
Community Connection grant recipients from March 15, 2023
| Organization | Grant Purpose | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Grace Quilters | Quilt supplies | $400 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County | Mentoring program | $1,400 |
| Bogan Elementary | Online learning program | $1,000 |
| Butler County Educational Service Center | Safety supplies | $1,500 |
| Butler County Sheriff's Office | Water rescue craft | $1,100 |
| Camden Comeback | iPad | $599 |
| Camden/Somers Township Fire and Rescue | Equipment | $1,000 |
| Collinsville Grange #2264 Patrons of Husbandry | AED | $900 |
| Crosby Elementary | STEAM project materials | $250 |
| Crosby Township Senior Citizens Club | Programs and entertainment | $600 |
| Darrtown Memorial Day Association | Memorial Day events | $480 |
| Edgewood Early Childhood Center | Phonological awareness toolbox | $875 |
| First Baptist Church of Auburn | Summer camp | $325 |
| Friends of Neighbors in Need | Back pack program | $1,375 |
| Friends of Preble County Park District | Trail head kiosk | $600 |
| Friends of White Water Shaker Village | Window restoration project | $260 |
| Friends of White Water Shaker Village | Battery-powered mower | $750 |
| Germantown Fire and EMS | Equipment | $1,000 |
| H.O.P.E.-full Pastures Therapeutic Farm | Equine program equipment | $400 |
| Home Is The Foundation | Senior home repairs | $1,650 |
| Kramer Elementary | Learning tools | $700 |
| Madison Middle School | Rocket program | $1,000 |
| Marshall Elementary | Camp Read A Lot | $500 |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Foundation | Forensic cameras | $1,250 |
| Morgan Township Fire Department | Rechargeable battery packs | $1,000 |
| National Inventors Hall of Fame | Camp Invention | $1,000 |
| New Miami Fire Department | Forcible entry tools | $1,000 |
| Play in the Park | Field trip expenses | $500 |
| Power to the People | Utility assistance | $1,850 |
| Preble County Historical Society | Venue lighting | $300 |
| Preble Shawnee High School | Online learning program | $800 |
| Preble Shawnee Local Schools | Online interactive program | $249 |
| Preble Shawnee Middle School | Online interactive programs | $220 |
| Reily Township Fire and EMS | AED | $1,000 |
| Ross Intermediate School | Music instrument | $400 |
| Ross Local Schools Choral Association | Show choir competition | $800 |
| Safe Haven Farms | Therapeutic horse riding program | $700 |
| Southwest Ohio Family Farm Safety | Publications | $500 |
| St. Clair Township Fire Department | Tools | $1,000 |
| Talawanda High School FCCLA | Farm to table project - Ag Day | $500 |
| Talawanda High School FFA | Ag Day event | $500 |
| Talawanda Middle School | Learning device | $500 |
| Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services | Summer harvest program | $2,200 |
| The Coleraine Historical Society | Projector screen and stand | $120 |
| Trenton Fire Department | Tools | $1,000 |
| Twin Valley Elementary | Art show equipment | $700 |
| Union County High School Parent After Prom Committee | After prom | $500 |
| Village and Farm Garden Club | Landscaping materials | $400 |
| Wayne Township Fire Department | Body armor | $1,000 |
| West College Corner Volunteer Fire Department | Festival games | $1,000 |
| Wild Hearts Zoological Society | Safety equipment and chairs | $300 |
