Community Connection

Butler Rural
Community Connection

Thank you to those who contribute to Community Connection!

Your donations have funded over $1.8 million in grants to improve our community since September 1994!

Butler Rural Community Connection provides grants to local non-profit groups, schools, 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.

Any non-profit group must be 501c(3), 501c(4), school, 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 five 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 Community Connection application deadline is February 26, 2027. The Community Connection Board of Trustees will meet March 10, 2027 to award fall grants. Grant applications will reopen on January 4, 2027.

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.

Since 1994, Butler Rural Community Connection has awarded over $1.8 million in grants to local schools, non-profit organizations, and emergency management services. In September 2026, Butler Rural Community Connection received 47 applications requesting more than $109,000. The Community Connection program funded 30 of these grants, totaling $37,158.58.

Fall 2026 Community Connection Grant Recipients

Organization	Description	Awarded
Bogan Elementary Parent Teacher Group	Reading at home cart books	$1,300.00
Boy Scout Troop 935	Tents	$1,396.00
City of Germantown Fire and EMS	Forcible entry tool sets	$730.00
College Corner Union School	Books	$1,000.00
First Baptist Church of Auburn	Children's bedding	$370.00
Friends of White Water Shaker Village	Accessible ramp	$948.00
Grand Paws Golden Years Sanctuary	Heating and air conditioning unit	$1,500.00
Harrison Junior School	Wildcat Sage Scholars Honors program	$1,500.00
Kramer Elementary School	Secret Stories program	$1,000.00
MidPointe Library System	Dolly Parton Imagination Library	$1,440.00
Morgan Township	AED	$1,600.00
Open Hands Food Pantry	Thanksgiving meal baskets	$2,500.00
Oxford Township Police Department	Trauma kits	$1,000.00
Oxford Women's Care Center	Abundant Beginnings program	$1,400.00
PARACHUTE: Butler County CASA	Sponsor a Child initiative	$1,865.00
Pathway to Hope Pregnancy Care Center	Medical supplies	$1,200.00
Power to the People	Utility assistance	$2,500.00
Preble County Historical Society	Laptop	$780.00
Preble Mini Minds	STEAM project series	$740.00
Rambotics Boosters	Tool chest and cart	$890.00
Ross Middle School	Field trip transportation	$767.58
Ross Township Fire Department	Full body splints	$1,250.00
Seven Mile Elementary	Education technology tools	$826.00
Seven Mile Elementary	iPad	$416.00
Talawanda Elementary Schools	Educational games	$1,200.00
Talawanda High School FFA	Agriculture Day supplies	$1,000.00
Talawanda Middle School Fishing Club	Supplies	$740.00
Troop 923 - Scouting America	Camping gear	$1,400.00
Troop 979 - Scouting of America	Camping gear	$1,400.00
West College Corner Volunteer Fire Dept.	Union County Firemen's Festival	$2,500.00

Community Connection Donation Form

To donate to Butler Rural Community Connection, please provide us with the following information.

You will not be making a donation now, the chosen amount will be added to your electric bill.

Name

Service Address

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative only serves addresses located in Ohio.

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Account Number

Email Address

Donation Level/Frequency of the Donation

Donation Amount

Butler Rural
Community Connection

Contact Information

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Butler Rural Community Connection

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How to Apply for a Community Connection Grant

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