ACCF celebrates opening of ‘Foundation Plaza’
June 12, 2021
ASHLAND – On June 12, Ashland County Community Foundation had the pleasure of joining the City of Ashland in welcoming visitors for the first time to Foundation Plaza.
“We believe this plaza will be an anchor of our downtown– a space where community will happen,” said ACCF President/CEO Jim Cutright.
“We are proud that the space will bear our name because we envision a wide range of community events happening at Foundation Plaza. We look forward to seeing parents playing at the plaza with their children, downtown workers there enjoying a lunch break, and couples lingering there as part of a date night in our downtown.”
The journey to creating this space began when ACCF provided vision and funding for the City of Ashland’s Targeted Action Plan, which initially focused on some other key areas of downtown and East Main Street.
When the plaza became part of the plan, ACCF’s leadership identified the plaza as an ideal target for one of the foundation’s Silver Anniversary Grants.
ACCF gave grants to each of the 8 villages in Ashland County, and foundation leaders expected the anniversary season would be capped off by the announcement that ACCF would provide the naming gift for Foundation Plaza as a grant to the City of Ashland.
When COVID-19 hit, ACCF pivoted to nonprofit relief. Together with United Way of Ashland County and several individuals and businesses, we granted more than $173,000 to 22 organizations that provided critical services to Ashland County residents amid the pandemic.
Though a large portion of ACCF’s Silver Anniversary grant dollars went to COVID-19 relief, through careful management, the foundation set aside $100,000 to provide a grant to the city for this plaza.
Thanks to a generous donor who came alongside ACCF and added $25,000 to the foundation’s contribution, ACCF’s dollars could go even further toward creating this crown jewel for Ashland’s downtown.
None of this would have been possible without the foresight and generosity of donors who have made unrestricted gifts to Ashland County Community Foundation over the years.
“We can’t always predict what challenges and opportunities the future may bring for our community, and that’s why it’s so important to have a community foundation that’s Here for Good,” Cutright said.
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 $18 million in scholarships, grants and distributions.