Utility fund-raising effort takes heat

Story100305_3: "Utility fund-raising effort takes heat
for opt-out strategy
Critics say customers should be asked if they want to
contribute to Operation Round Up--or any charity

By Andrea Muirragui Davis
IBJ Reporter

What do you think of utilities that round up customers' bills
and donate the extra money to charity?
Click here to join IBJ's disussion forum.

The concept is a noble one: By rounding their bills up to the nearest dollar, utility customers can turn pennies into a philanthropic windfall for a worthy cause.

Indeed, Operation Round Up programs at nearly 250 electric cooperatives nationwide--including 22 in Indiana--have collected more than $50 million for charity since the fund-raising effort began in 1989."