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ACCF donors make grant to Ashland Main Street

July 29, 2021

ASHLAND – Impressed by the recent growth of downtown Ashland and eager to see it continue, an anonymous donor family chose to make a $5,000 grant to Ashland Main Street.

The grant comes from the donor family’s donor advised fund, a charitable fund held at Ashland County Community Foundation.

“Having a donor advised fund at ACCF is a bit like having your own private foundation, except it’s a much simpler and more accessible option for most people,” ACCF President/CEO Jim Cutright said. “You can contribute to your donor advised fund on one schedule and make grants to support your favorite causes on another schedule.

“Through their donor advised fund, this family is able to make a real impact on what matters most to them, even as the needs and opportunities in our community change over time. This demonstrates why donor advised funds are quickly becoming one of our most popular fund types.”

While the donor family now lives out of town, they still care deeply about Ashland and follow Ashland news.

Seeing more and more positive developments in the downtown area, and knowing they had investment income available in their fund, the donors reached out to Cutright. They asked him where they could direct distributions from their ACCF fund to best support the growth of a vibrant downtown.

Ashland Main Street was the unequivocal answer, Cutright told them.

Since its inception in 2010, Ashland Main Street has been promoting the downtown as the heart of the community. The organization assists businesses, plans events and encourages redevelopment and beautification efforts downtown.

Over the past decade, the organization’s efforts have been instrumental in generating the energy and creating the momentum to help transform downtown.

 “We hear from so many people who just say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for making downtown somewhere exciting to be,’” Ashland Main Street Executive Director Sandra Tunnell said.

“A lot of people who are from Ashland recall that downtown used to be amazing and was the center of the community, and then it wasn’t for a long time, and now it is again. It is so rewarding to see people so happy to be out in our community. People see the energy and they want to be part of it.”

While the leaders of Ashland Main Street are still exploring options for how to use the $5,000, Tunnell said, they are committed to choosing a strategic project that will make a real impact downtown.

For more information about how you can maximize your tax benefits and your charitable impact with a donor advised fund, contact Ashland County Community Foundation President/CEO Jim Cutright at 419-281-4733 or cutty@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 $19 million in scholarships, grants and distributions.

About Ashland Main Street: Ashland Main Street builds the Ashland community by strengthening its downtown. The organization’s goal is to create an attractive destination for residents and visitors by assisting businesses, planning events, and encouraging redevelopment and beautification in the center of our town.