Join us in helping the less fortunate in our community

As a voluntary program, Palmetto Electric relies on consumer participation to ensure the success of Operation Round Up. When a customer participates, his/her average contribution is about 50 cents per month, totaling around $6 on an annual basis. It may seem like small change, but if every consumer took part in the program, we could raise more than $450,000 a year to help worthy community projects in Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties.

Here’s How It Works

Operation Round Up is just what the name implies. Each month, Palmetto Electric simply “rounds up” the electric bills of participating consumers to the next dollar. Donations are tax-deductible, and participants are sent a summary of their yearly contributions each January and February.

All Operation Round Up donations are placed in trust and administered by an independent Board of Directors called the Palmetto Electric Trust. The Trust is made up of community leaders who serve on a voluntary basis. The Palmetto Electric Trust Board receives and evaluates all requests, determines who receives funding and how all Operation Round Up monies will be distributed. Typically, the funding is used to address crucial community needs such as housing, assistance programs like Meals on Wheels, medical care and education — but is not limited to these categories. Operation Round Up funds may not be used for political purposes.

More Information

If you need more information about the Operation Round Up program, please call Palmetto Electric at 1-800-922-5551.

Recognition near and far

Organizations throughout the Lowcountry have certainly recognized the importance of Operation Round Up to local charities and needy individuals.

The program was a major factor in Palmetto Electric receiving Jasper County’s “Sergeant Jasper Award” as well as “Business of the Year” awards from the Hampton County Chamber of Commerce and the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce.

Since Operation Round Up first began, Palmetto Electric has received a National Cooperative Council Public Service Award. In addition, Palmetto Electric is a past recipient of the Council of Rural Electric Communicators Award of Excellence for Best Total Communications Program.

“The awards we’ve received are really a testament to our members’ concern for their own community,” says former Palmetto Electric CEO and founder of the Operation Round Up program, G. Thomas Upshaw. “I also thank the Palmetto Electric Board for their support and commitment to the program and our Trust Board for their excellent guidance and stewardship. The entire Palmetto Electric family got behind Operation Round Up in 1989 and has stayed behind it ever since. It has been a true blessing to everyone involved.”

Palmetto Electric and its member-owners have proven with Operation Round Up that a pool of small donations amounts to “Small Change that Changes Lives.” If you would like to join us in our commitment to the community, please call us at 1-800-922-5551.

Begin an Operation Round Up program for your members

If you are a member of the cooperative family and would like to begin an Operation Round Up program for your members, Palmetto Electric is pleased to share information with you. You’ll find that good communication with your employees, your customers and your public are crucial in starting such a program in your own service area. To help you do so, we’ve prepared the brief “how-to” guide below for electric cooperatives to establish their own Operation Round Up fund:

• Employee Communications
  Because your employees serve as informal goodwill ambassadors to the public, it is important to involve them in the early stages of your Operation Round Up plan. At Palmetto Electric, a series of internal communications alerted employees to the new program, explained its benefits and how it would work. We then solicited employee support in promoting Operation Round Up throughout the community.

• Public Relations
  The power of the press cannot be underestimated. To help publicize your new program, the media can be your best friend. Palmetto Electric utilized a comprehensive public relations campaign that included press conferences, press releases and media pitches. Pre-publicity will promote interest in your campaign before its kick-off and promote positive word of mouth.

• Consumer Advertising
  Palmetto Electric developed an informative brochure about Operation Round Up that was inserted as a bill stuffer. This included a reply card for those who did not want to sign up for the program. Our introductory campaign also included newspaper and radio advertising.

• Member Communications
  Keeping your members informed about Operation Round Up reminds them of the good they’re doing within their own community. At Palmetto Electric, we include an explanatory Operation Round Up insert in new member packages. We also run periodic updates on the status of funds in our consumer publication, South Carolina Living, and we notify the media of status reports through press releases. In addition, Palmetto Electric employees make regular appearances at community organizations and civic groups to discuss the impact of Operation Round Up in our community.

*If you would like to join the Operation Round Up team, simply write to Palmetto Electric at 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville SC 29927, attn: President’s Office, for permission to use the Registered Trademark Operation Round Up. 

Since we first began in 1989, the Operation Round Up program has been adopted by cooperatives from across the nation. To qualify, we require only that your board approves the program, that you complete an agreement form, and that no funds be used for political purposes. How you choose to promote the program and distribute collected funds is entirely at the discretion of your organization.

For additional information, call Palmetto Electric at 1-800-922-5551 or e-mail us at Operation Round Up.