Lincoln Co. non-profits receive safety grants from FEC

Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety program recently awarded $30,834 in grants to nine local organizations working to improve safety across Northwest Montana.

At its September meeting, the program’s board of directors awarded grants to support a wide range of projects, including pedestrian safety, avalanche education, emergency preparedness, wildlife conflict prevention and youth safety.

One grant, for $8,015, went to the Kootenai Winter Sports Ski Education Foundation to fund wilderness first aid training that will strengthen emergency response and rescue capabilities in Lincoln County.

United for Youth/Spring Up Libby was also a recipient. It received $420 to purchase a cooler and cart to support hydration and safety during youth athletic activities.

Another grant was for $4,000 went to People and Carnivores, a local organization that promotes bear safety and education, to purchase and distribute bear-resistant garbage containers to residents in areas experiencing high levels of human-bear conflict. 

The project will also provide educational materials and outreach to help residents properly secure garbage and other bear attractants. By reducing bears’ access to food sources, the effort aims to improve public safety, prevent property damage, and reduce negative interactions between people and bears.

The following organizations received funding at the latest board meeting:

- The Skola – $4,500 to install fencing that will help keep children safely separated from traffic along Edgewood Road.

- Flathead Association of Senior Citizens – $209 to help purchase a shade canopy for outdoor activities.

- Kalispell Public Schools Student-Built Homes – $5,000 to purchase protective work boots for students participating in hands-on construction education.

- Writing Coaches of Montana – $500 to cover background checks for volunteers working with students.

- People and Carnivores – $4,000 in seed funding toward bear-resistant garbage containers to help reduce conflicts between people and wildlife.

- Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center – $4,450 to purchase a projector and support avalanche safety education.

- Flathead County Sheriff’s Office – $3,740 to purchase an electronic speed display device to encourage safer driving.

Roundup for Safety is a voluntary program funded by Flathead Electric Cooperative members who choose to round up their monthly electric bills to the nearest dollar. 

These small contributions, averaging about $6 per year per participating member, are pooled together and awarded by an independent board to nonprofit organizations and community projects that improve safety throughout the Cooperative’s service area.

Since its creation in 1997, Roundup for Safety has awarded more than $5 million to over 1,400 safety-related projects.

To learn more about the program, apply for a grant, or to “round up” your electric bill, visit flatheadelectric.com/roundup-for-safety.