ACCF Women’s Fund launches ‘EmpowHer Giving Circle’
Joe Lyons •
May 28, 2024
Courtney McNaull, Sandra Tunnell, Erin Stine
ASHLAND – The Women’s Fund of Ashland County Community Foundation is inviting local women to take part in a new collective giving initiative called the EmpowHer Giving Circle.
Participants will be able to enjoy networking and socializing while pooling their charitable resources to support causes that benefit women in Ashland County.
“Giving Circles are an increasingly popular form of philanthropy, and the concept is truly a perfect fit for our Women’s Fund,” said Ashland County Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer Kristin Aspin. “We’re building community among women, promoting women’s advancement and strengthening local women.”
Following a successful pilot event in March, the Women’s Fund Steering Committee is now opening the EmpowHer Giving Circle up to the public by encouraging all Ashland County women to attend the first public Giving Circle. The event will be 5:30-7:00 p.m. Monday, June 24 at South Street Grille, 121 South Street in Ashland. Weather permitting, the event will be outdoors. In case of inclement weather, the Circle will be moved indoors.
Attendees are asked to register by June 10 via Eventbrite, where they may make an online donation of $25, $50 or $75. Alternatively, guests can register online and make a donation in any amount at the door.
Appetizers and one drink ticket per guest will be provided by the Women’s Fund, allowing 100 percent of the money donated to be given away. Half of the donation pool will be granted to a cause selected by the group at the event to benefit local women immediately. The other half will be invested in the Women’s Fund endowment at ACCF to provide grants and scholarships that will benefit local women for years to come.
Each attendee will have the option of nominating a nonprofit organization or other charitable cause that benefits local women. A few nominations will be selected at random, and the chosen nominators will give a brief, informal pitch describing the cause and the reason they chose to nominate it.
Following these presentations, participants will take part in a group discussion about their shared values and the causes being considered. They will then cast ballots to vote for the cause they would most like to fund.
At the March pilot event, Women’s Fund Steering Committee members and a small group of guests donated a total of $1,320. They chose to make their $660 grant to OhioHealth Foundation to be used toward the purchase of a special camera for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners at the OhioHealth Ashland Health Center to use in the care of domestic violence and assault survivors. The camera will allow hospital staff to obtain high-quality images that can show survivors the extent of injuries and can be used as evidence in court.
The SANE camera project was later selected by the ACCF Community Grants committee to receive an additional grant.
“Though the EmpowHer Giving Circle grant was small relative to the total cost of this advanced equipment, it is highly significant that this pooled donation represented the first dollars granted toward a project that so clearly resonates with local women,” McNaull said. “These women not only raised money but also spread awareness for this important cause, using their collective voice to say, ‘this matters for women and for our community.’ That’s the power of this new Giving Circle.”
For more information about the June 24 event, visit https://ashlandforgood.org/giving-circle/ or contact Courtney McNaull at courtney@ashlandforgood.org.
About Ashland County Community Foundation: Ashland County Community Foundation advances philanthropy and improves the quality of life in Ashland County by connecting people who care with causes that matter. ACCF has awarded over $30 million in scholarships, grants and distributions.
About the Women’s Fund: The Women’s Fund is a permanently endowed fund held at Ashland County Community Foundation and managed by the Women’s Fund Steering Committee. Annual fund distributions are used to make grants and provide scholarships that build community among women, promote women’s advancement and strengthen Ashland County women.
Women’s Fund Steering Committee Member Nichole
Aber speaks to attendees of the EmpowHer Giving Circle