Dakota Electric Community Award
(Formerly Touchstone Energy Community Award)
Every year Dakota Electric celebrates community service by presenting three Community Awards to nonprofit groups or community organizations that have shown a strong commitment to their community.
The award acknowledges the efforts of those who have impacted numerous people, addressed unmet community needs or provided necessary services.
Any civic organization or non-profit in our service area is eligible to submit for the award which recognizes outstanding contributions to our local communities.
Organizations are eligible to apply for the award themselves, or community members may apply on behalf of a deserving organization.
Organizations that have won in the past three years are ineligible from winning again this year. Organizations that have applied previously but did not win are encouraged to apply again.
Since Dakota Electric is no longer a member of Touchstone Energy as of 2025, this award is currently being remodeled. We fully expect to continue the tradition of what was previously called the Touchstone Energy Community Award but with some changes as we make the program our own. Please check back in autumn as we launch our new initiative.
Past winners include:
- Bundles of Love
- Foster Together
- Sleep in Heavenly Peace
- The Drawer
- Kaitlyn’s Kloset
- Vineyard Community Services
- Dakota Ramblers 4-H
- Hope for Tomorrow
- Miracle League Project
- Military Family Support Group
- Midwest Special Services
- DARTS
- BrainPower in a BackPack
- Town Square Television
- Dakota City Heritage Village
- Defending the Blue Line
- Farmington Yellow Ribbon Network
- Kids ’n Kinship
Every year Dakota Electric provides three Touchstone Energy Community Awards to non-profit groups, community organizations and businesses that have shown a strong commitment to their community. The award acknowledges the efforts of those who have impacted numerous people, addressed unmet community needs or provided necessary services.
Each winner receives a check for $500, and one recipient is chosen to contend against other award winners from across the state for a cash prize of $1,000. The statewide award winner is recognized at the Minnesota Rural Electric Association’s annual meeting in February or March.
