The Area Youth Benefit Fund (AYBF) is a 501(c)3 charity created by Farmers’ Electric in 1993. The purpose of this charity is to provide families in our local area with assistance for children’s medical bills in their time of need. We assist families in our ten-county service territory, and assistance is available regardless of whether or not they are insured.
One key point of this charity is that distributions from the Area Youth Benefit Fund stay LOCAL! This charitable fund operates in the counties of Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, and Ray. A family who receives electricity from Farmers' Electric Cooperative, but resides in a county not listed above, also qualifies for AYBF assistance. A family that resides in one of the counties listed above DOES NOT have to be a member of the Cooperative to receive financial assistance. We just want to help those in our communities in any way that we can!
A separate Board of Directors has been named to administer the AYBF. All applications for assistance will be made to them, and the Directors have been empowered to administer the fund as they so choose.
Overall, Farmers' Electric's Area Youth Benefit Fund has distributed over $1,021,000 to 1,283 families in north Missouri! The AYBF is supported by annual fundraising events, and by Members of Farmers' Electric Cooperative through the Operation Round Up Program.
In 2026, we are excited to continue building on the success of our fundraising events! Our third annual Chances for Children event will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at the Chillicothe Elks Lodge. This evening event offers attendees a fun night filled with great raffle prizes, community connection, and the opportunity to support local families.
We will also continue our annual AYBF charity golf tournament, Par-Tee for a Purpose, scheduled for Friday, June 19, 2026. This community favorite best-shot scramble promises another great day on the course for golfers and supporters alike.
We look forward to hosting these events and are grateful for the continued support of our communities as we come together to support this incredible local cause!
Operation Round Up
Small Change That Makes Big 'Cents'
Want an easy way to make a real difference every month? With Operation Round Up, you can help local families just by rounding up your electric bill.
Each month, your bill is automatically rounded up to the nearest dollar. For example, if your bill is $83.55, it rounds to $84.00—never more than 99¢ a month.
Those extra cents go directly to the Farmers' Electric Area Youth Benefit Fund, which provides critical financial assistance to local families facing children’s medical expenses.
On average, members give just $6 a year—but together, those small donations add up to life-changing support. Your spare change becomes hope, relief, and healing for neighbors when they need it most.
Ready to Round Up for a reason?
Call us, or enroll online in just minutes:
Log in to your account portal
Click the “More” tab at the top right
Select “Round Up” from the dropdown
Click “Sign Up”—and you’re in!
Thank you for turning your change into change for local kids.
Want to be involved?
Donate any amount you wish right now via PayPal.
Does your employer offer matching donations?
Our EIN # is 43-1636129.
Thanks so much for your help in supporting this worthy cause!
WHERE THE FUNDS GO
Below is the county-by-county breakdown of donations made
since the charity began in 1993.
|
County |
Donation |
|---|---|
|
Caldwell |
$ 110,661.46 |
|
Carroll |
$ 103,050.10 |
|
Chariton |
$ 58,138.98 |
|
Clinton |
$ 75,709.65 |
|
Daviess |
$ 120,857.46 |
|
DeKalb |
$ 63,724.22 |
|
Lafayette |
$ 1,000.00 |
|
Linn |
$ 104,930.90 |
|
Livingston |
$267,797.46 |
|
Ray |
$ 109,429.61 |
|
Gentry |
$ 1,000.00 |
|
Total: |
$1,021,634.84 |