ASHLAND — An anonymous family donated $5,000 in the form of a grant to Ashland Main Street recently, according to an Ashland County Community Foundation announcement.
The family now lives out of town, said Courtney McNaull, ACCF’s communications director.
“They still care deeply about Ashland and follow Ashland news,” she said.
Ashland Main Street leaders are exploring options for how to use the $5,000 grant. But Sandra Tunnell, the organization’s executive director, said she is committed to choosing a strategic project that will make a real impact downtown.
Ashland Main Street is a nonprofit organization that formed in 2010 to promote the city’s downtown area by assisting businesses, planning events and encouraging redevelopment and beautification efforts.
“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,” Tunnell said. “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.”
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller, who serves on Ashland Main Street’s board, said the organization lost around $8,000 in anticipated revenue during the pandemic in 2020 because of canceled fundraisers.
“So an unanticipated $5,000 goes a long way to make up that shortfall,” he said. “It seems as though every new addition, whether it be a restaurant, a plaza or more flower pots — it’s all creating an even greater momentum and it’s having a snowball effect.”
The grant comes from the family’s “donor advised fund,” a charitable fund held at ACCF.
“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,” said Jim Cutright, the foundation’s CEO and president.
“You can contribute to your donor advised fund on one schedule and make grants to support your favorite causes on another schedule,” he said, adding the type of fund is becoming the foundation’s most popular.
“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,” Cutright said.
