Securing funds for a hospital or giving money to a family who lost a home to flames may seem fitting efforts for a church or some nonprofit agency. But do you expect this from a power company? For hundreds of rural communities, the resounding answer is “Yes.”

Electric cooperatives deliver much more than safe, reliable and affordable electricity. Cooperatives push past the traditional role of a utility and take on roles as active partners in local communities, rebuilding lives and spreading opportunities. Concern for Community — a core cooperative business principle — weaves a common thread among electric cooperatives and sets them apart from other types of power suppliers.