Cooperative Family Fund extends support to children after a parent’s loss

Established in 2022, the Cooperative Family Fund is a nonprofit organization providing support for children of active electric cooperative employees when they experience the loss of a parent. The fund was conceived by Tony Anderson, board president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and general manager of Cherryland Electric Cooperative, after learning about the death of a Michigan electric cooperative line worker who left behind six children.

“My heart went out to those children,” said Anderson, “and I could not help wondering what would happen to them. It struck me that, at times of loss, the concept of cooperatives as families becomes even more important, and I wanted to find a way to help those children (and others like them) to understand that they are a part of our family.” Anderson began sharing his idea with other cooperative leaders and received significant support. After several months of discussions that included a deep dive into logistics, the Cooperative Family Fund was established as a 501(c)(3) charity in Michigan.

CoBank was one of the fund’s earliest supporters, and Tom Halverson, CEO, presented an initial contribution of $50,000 in 2023. This was followed by additional corporate contributions and customer donation-matching through the CoBank’s Sharing Success program. In total, CoBank has contributed nearly $160,000 to the fund over the past two years.

“As the organization’s mission states, cooperatives are truly an extended family, and it is imperative to support these families during their times of need,” Halverson said. “As a mission-based cooperative lender, CoBank believes in giving back to the communities where our customer-owners live and work. That includes supporting our fellow cooperative employees and their families. We are proud to be a part of this effort.” When an active employee of a cooperative dies, the Cooperative Family Fund establishes a trust account for each of their children. The investment grows as the children age, and proceeds are made available on the first day of the month following each of their 18th birthdays. Funds can be used for college expenses or other related needs. In addition to the monetary benefit, fund volunteers also help cooperatives prepare a memory book for the family of the employee and coordinate other ways to care for them as they grieve.

“The generosity of the cooperative community has been humbling,” said Anderson. “Since our inception, donors across the country have contributed more than $1.4 million to this effort. Sadly, during that time, we have lost more than 40 members of the cooperative family from 20 different states. Thanks to these donors, we have been able to invest funds for 85 children, including five who have now reached their 18th birthdays and have received a payout. Unfortunately, we know that other families will experience this same loss in years to come. That’s why the generous contributions of CoBank and other cooperative partners is so important. We are grateful and appreciative of all the support and donations the fund has received. It really is a grassroots and cooperative family effort that continues to grow.”