2024 Recipients

    • Bluebonnet Children’s Advocacy Center
      $750 to help stock up the Rainbow Room, an emergency resource room, with clothing, baby food and diapers and other items given to women and children while at the center.
    • Briscoe Animal Resource Center of Uvalde
      $1,000 to fund the construction of a new memorial animal shelter. 
    • Joe Finger Youth Benefit Fund
      $750 to purchase a scoreboard for the first of three little league fields.
    • Medina Healthcare System
      $750 to enhance patient safety when medications are administered by using a point of care device that scans a patient’s armband and the barcode on the medication prior to administration to ensure the right patient receives the right drug.
    • Medina Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8134
      $1,500 toward repairing and levelling the VFW building’s foundation. This includes removing and replacing pipes, beams and floor joists.
    • Restoring Hope Family Resource Center
      $750 to purchase three polywood glider benches for the center’s Hope Garden. The center hopes clients and community members will use the space as an area to interact, reflect, grieve and pray.                     
    CEP logo

    The Community Empowerment Program (CEP) provides grants for capital improvement projects that support community and economic development within the 17 counties we serve.

    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.

    The goals of the CEP are:

    • Encourage economic diversity

    • Contribute to the health and development of a community to improve the attractiveness of the community to public and private enterprises

    • Improve the quality and/or quantity of services essential for the development of viable communities and economic growth, including services related to education, community planning, recreation, health care, public safety, employment, training or transportation

    The program began in 2015 and is funded by unclaimed capital credits. It must be approved by the board annually. When credits remain unclaimed for three years they are given to the State of Texas. The state can give a portion of that money back to the cooperative to be used for economic development activities, scholarships and energy efficiency programs.

     

    The board has approved up to $5,500 in grants to be awarded for 2024. Applications and required paperwork were due on April 1.

    Sign up to receive more information about future CEP grants below.

    Send me info for 2025

    First and last
    Select which programs you'd like to be notified if/when applications are available

     

    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
    • Computer equipment or software
    • One-time events
    • Most functions carried out by a taxing entity

    The 2024 application has closed. Check back for 2025!

    2024 Applications were due on April 1*. Sign up to receive more information or check back in January 2025.

    * Technical support will not be available outside of normal business hours. Encountering technical issues turning in the application on the last day will not be grounds for an extension.

     

     

    Organizations that are awarded CEP grant monies must adhere to the following:

    • The project must be completed within 12 months of the date the grant is awarded. Upon completion of the project, the grant recipient must submit a final report with a photograph of the completed project.
    • For grants above $1,999, the grant recipient must post signage that clearly, permanently and publicly acknowledges the sponsorship of Medina EC at the site of the project.
    • Grant recipients must allow Medina EC to take and publicly post pictures of the grant being awarded.

     

    Failure to complete the project on schedule or abide by the terms of the agreement may result in Medina EC requiring the recipient to return the grant.

     

    Be prepared to provide the following information on your application:

     

    Organization Information

    • The year the organization was founded
    • The goal or purpose of the organization
    • Whether or not the organization is a 501(c) and if so which type
    • A list of the elected body or board of directors for the organization
    • A copy of the organization's State of Texas or IRS determination letter, if applicable
    • A copy of the most recent IRS Form 990, if applicable

    Project Information

    • An overview of the project and how the Medina EC grant will be used
    • When the project is anticipated to start and be completed
    • How the project will impact the community
    • The project's economic impact on the community
    • Who will maintain the project, both during and completion
    • Whether or not the requested funds will enable completion for the project or if additional funding is needed (and how that funding will be obtained)
    • Any photos, if applicable

    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.

    Budget Summary of Project Costs SAMPLE
    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

     

     

    Staff can review draft applications and provide feedback if submitted at least three weeks before the deadline.

    Applications that meet the minimum requirements are reviewed by the CEP committee. The committee determines grant awards and amounts. Grants may be awarded for less than the amount requested, depending on the number of applications received. Grant decisions will be announced in June.

    Decisions regarding grants are within the sole discretion of the CEP committee and may not be appealed. Communicating with members of the CEP committee about a pending grant application is not allowed.

    An entity receiving a grant must wait 24 months following the official close out of the previous grant before it is eligible to submit another project.

    If you have any questions please send an email to MyCoop@MedinaEC.org or call 1-866-MEC-ELEC (632-3532).

    Since 2021, the average grant awarded by the CEP committee is $400-$1,000. The most common grant amount is $500.

    We encourage organizations to have or find additional funding sources to complete their projects.