East Cobb nonprofits can apply for Cobb EMC Foundation grants for the 2027 cycle, with applications open through Oct. 1.

The foundation funds nonprofits that serve communities within Cobb EMC's five-county service area, which includes Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee, Fulton and Paulding counties. Grant recipients will be announced in spring 2027, according to the foundation.

Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $11.6 million to local nonprofits. A nine-member volunteer board reviews and evaluates applications each year.

The grants are funded entirely through Operation Round Up, a voluntary program in which Cobb EMC members round up their monthly electric bills to the nearest dollar. The average participant contributes about $6.80 per year. Those small amounts add up across the cooperative's nearly 200,000 residential and commercial customers in five counties.

Carley Stephens, executive director of the Cobb EMC Foundation, said the grants are made possible by members who choose to round up their bills. "Those small contributions come together to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors," Stephens said.

Past grant recipients include the Cobb County Public Schools Education Foundation, which received funding to expand STRIVE (Student Resilience, Intervention, and Vital Environments), a trauma-informed care initiative, across Cobb County schools. The program focuses on building support systems for students dealing with trauma.

Beyond grants, the foundation distributes roughly $70,000 in scholarships each year to students whose families are Cobb EMC members. The numbers tell the story. In 2026, the foundation awarded $73,500 to 21 high school seniors, according to its scholarship announcement. Fourteen received $5,000 scholarships and seven received $500 awards.

The 2026 scholarship cycle drew 179 applications. Twenty-one finalists were invited to interview. Recipients included students from East Cobb's Walton, Wheeler and Lassiter high schools.

The foundation operates independently of Cobb EMC's electric operations and is led by a volunteer board of community members.

Eligible nonprofits can apply at cobbemc.com/foundation before the deadline.