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EmpowHer Giving Circle

Unite with a community of like-minded women who want to meet the needs of local women today and invest in Ashland County women for years to come.

Join the Women’s Fund of Ashland County Community Foundation as we launch a brand new event series, open to all Ashland County women who want to support other women in our community.

Our first public Giving Circle event will be 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Monday, June 24 South Street Grille. Join us to enjoy a fun evening with great women while making a difference for women in our community. 

Click the “Register” button below to sign up via Eventbrite by June 10. Make your donation for $25, $50 or $75 online, or register online and donate any amount you choose at the door (cash, check, credit or debit cards accepted).

Here’s what you can expect if you participate in a Giving Circle event:

Gather

Join an informal group of local women for a casual meetup and an interactive opportunity to make a difference in your community. Refreshments are on us.

Give

Make a donation, which will be split between the Women’s Fund of Ashland County Community Foundation and the group’s chosen cause.

 

Learn

Hear a few brief descriptions of local causes that could benefit from a giving circle grant. Optionally, you may sign up to present a cause you want the group to support.

Discuss

Participate in a constructive conversation about community needs, shared values, and the various causes presented by your fellow women.

Choose

Vote for your favorite cause from among those presented to receive a grant from the giving circle.

Engage

If you wish, you may take the initiative to engage further as a volunteer or donor for a nonprofit or cause or with the Women’s Fund.

Register

Frequently Asked Questions

A giving circle brings a group of people with shared values together to collectively discuss and decide where to make a pooled gift. Giving circles are an increasingly popular form of philanthropy where individuals give together to make social change happen.

Giving circles support causes with their dollars, but they also build awareness. Individual participants can multiply their impact and knowledge while having fun and connecting with their local community. Some may even become inspired to volunteer, become board members and more. 

Participating in this Giving Circle is a great way to meet and deepen relationships with other women, learn about causes impacting Ashland County women, and make a difference for local women both now and in the future.  

Feedback from our pilot Giving Circle event was overwhelmingly positive, with all participants feeling “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the experience. They cited connection, discussion, learning and an overall atmosphere of generosity as favorite aspects of the event.

 

The Women’s Fund of Ashland County Community Foundation is all about women helping women find power and purpose. Gifts to the Women’s Fund are invested, generating income to award grants and scholarships, to pursue strategic initiatives and to build community among women. 

You may donate any amount you wish. Suggested donation amounts on our  Eventbrite page are $25, $50, or $75. You may also register online and donate at the door in any amount. The average donation at our pilot event was about $50. 

Refreshments are on us, so 100 percent of your donation will be pooled with the gifts of all participants to make an impact in our community.

Half of the money will go to the Women’s Fund endowment to support grants and scholarships benefitting Ashland County Women. Then other half will be given to the organization or cause chosen collectively by the group at the event.

All causes will be vetted by Ashland County Community Foundation to ensure the recipient meets our grantmaking requirements and the purpose benefits Ashland County women.

We encourage any attendee who wishes to do so to nominate a local nonprofit organization or cause that supports Ashland County Women. You can elect to do this by providing the name of the organization or cause at the door on the day of the event. 

We will randomly select a few nominators to give a brief, informal presentation about their chosen cause to the group. Presentations should last just a few minutes and should describe the cause and why you feel it is worthy of support. 

Please note: Nominators may not be staff members or board members of the organization they are nominating. 

Register

Courtney McNaull

Community Engagement Director

Have a question about the Giving Circle? Contact Courtney McNaull.