ACCF Women’s Fund launches EmpowHer Giving Circle

The Women’s Fund of Ashland County Community Foundation invites local women to take part in a new collective giving initiative called the EmpowHer Giving Circle.

Participants will be able to network and socialize 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,” foundation Chief Operating Officer Kristin Aspin said. “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 to the public by encouraging all Ashland County women to attend the first public Giving Circle. The event will be June 24 from 5:30-7 p.m. at South Street Grille, 121 South St. In case of inclement weather, the event 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, allowing 100% of the money donated to be given away. Half the donation pool will be granted to a cause selected by the group at the event. The other half will be invested in the Women’s Fund endowment to provide grants and scholarships that will benefit local women for years to come.

Each attendee will have the option of nominating a nonprofit or other charitable cause. 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 guests donated $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 camera project was later selected by the 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 information about the June 24 event, visit ashlandforgood.org/giving-circle or email McNaull at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: ACCF Women’s Fund launches EmpowHer Giving Circle