ACF Awards Over $230k in Fall 2024 Grant Cycle

Shayne Lopez • December 19, 2024

The Athens County Foundation (ACF) is thrilled to announce grant awards from its Fall 2024 grant cycle. Over 40 organizations serving Athens County have been approved for funding, receiving a total of more than $230,000 in support of their impactful projects and programs.


The awarded grants, which span a variety of focus areas including education, health and social services, environmental sustainability, economic development, and the arts, reflect ACF’s dedication to fostering a thriving and inclusive community for all. “These grants represent the power of collaboration and the impact of investing in community strengths,” said Kerry Pigman, Executive Director of the Athens County Foundation. “At the Athens County Foundation, we believe that meaningful change happens when we come together to address challenges and create opportunities. These projects embody our shared commitment to a thriving Athens County.”


This funding cycle also marks an exciting milestone for ACF as a select portion of the grantees have been chosen to participate in the Foundation's pilot implementation of Multi-Year Unrestricted Funding. This funding approach aims to provide grantees with greater flexibility and stability, empowering them to focus on long-term impact. This initiative is part of ACF’s commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector by exploring new funding models that better address the diverse needs of the community.


“This pilot is an exciting step toward offering innovative funding solutions that empower nonprofits to focus on their missions and sustainability,” said Pigman. “By testing this approach now, we are building the structure needed to expand the program in the future, providing even more robust support to our vibrant nonprofit community.”


The Athens County Foundation is proud to support the important work of our local organizations and remains committed to fostering a collaborative and innovative approach to community investment. Together, we are shaping a stronger, more resilient Athens County for generations to come.


Grants for the Fall 2024 Grant Cycle are:

  • ACENet Inc.- Accessible Food Network Capacity Cohort
  • ACENet Inc.- Athens Farmers Market Capital Campaign for Expansion
  • Alexander Parent Teacher Organization- Alexander Inclusive Playground Project - Phases A + Y
  • American Red Cross- Preparedness, Recovery, and Resiliency in Athens County
  • Appalachian Life Fellowship- Trevor Boggs Eagle Scout Project Troop 0364 Nelsonville
  • Athens Area Mediation Service- General Support/Expanding capacity and increasing services provided
  • Athens Church of Christ Preschool- New Beginnings
  • Athens County Children Services- Holiday/Break Food Boxes
  • Athens County Children Services- Clean Clothes for Kids 3.0
  • Athens County Children Services- School Break Food Boxes
  • Athens County Community Singers- General Support/ACCS: Making Music for Our Community
  • Athens County Department of Job and Family Services- Mission Hope in Hand: Supplying the unsheltered with life-saving essentials.
  • Athens County Independent- Website Development for Robust Local News Outlet Serving Athens County
  • Athens Photographic Project- 17 Blue Line Drive - Capital Project
  • Athens United Immigrant Support Project- Legal fees Incurred by Asylees
  • Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, Inc- Summer Art Camp
  • Helping Hands of Southeast Ohio- Home Beautification Program
  • Majestic Galleries- Majestic Operations
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness of Athens County- NAMI Basics and Peer-to-Peer Program Implementation
  • Nelsonville-York High School National Honor Society- Nelsonville-York Feminine Hygiene Project
  • Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery- General Support/Developing for Discovery
  • OhioHealth Foundation- Discovery Kitchen Classes for Seniors in Athens County
  • Paper Circle- Sharpen our Tools, Sharpen our Impact
  • Passion Works- Passion Works’s Cottage Industry Handworks Pilot Program
  • Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio- Ensuring stable and affordable access to sexual and reproductive health care for Athens County patients
  • Rome Township Community Park- Rome Township Community Park Playground and Walking Trail
  • Rome Township Community Park- Rome Township Community Park Website Design
  • Rural Action- Youth Climate Action Team: Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders
  • Solid Ground School- Communications Support to Improve Fundraising Capacity
  • Southeast Ohio Center for Independent Living- SOCIL Adaptive Sports Program
  • Southeast Ohio Free Pharmacy DBA Rising Suns Pharmacy- General Support/Rising Suns Pharmacy Refrigerator and Temperature Monitoring Equipment
  • Southeast Ohio Independent News- Underwriting to support Athens County community engagement
  • Southeast Ohio Youth Mentoring- SEOYM Technology Needs
  • Stuart's Opera House- Arts Education Operational Support
  • Tablertown People of Color Museum- People of Color Museum and Community Capacity Building Through AmeriCorps VISTA
  • The Athens Village, Inc.- Transitional Health Care
  • The Birth Circle, Inc- General Support/Prepared Parents Workshop 2025
  • Tomcat Bridgebuilders- Prevention of Substance Use Disorder
  • Townsend Camp 108, Department of Ohio, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War- Chaplain Charles C. McCabe "Battle Hymn of the Republic" Historical Marker Project
  • United Campus Ministry-Center for Spiritual Growth & Scl. Jst.- Hygiene Kits
  • United Seniors of Athens County- Replacement of Accessible vehicle for transportation
  • Village of Amesville- Entertaining Amesville
  • Village Productions Performing Arts Inc.- Rural Food Initiative
  • Women for Recovery- General Support/Peer Recovery Support Staff Funding
  • York Township Volunteer Fire Department BOX5- BOX5 Fire Educational Materials

Emily Prince is ACF's New Communications and Engagement Manager

By Shayne Lopez • December 4, 2025
The Athens County Foundation is excited to welcome Emily Prince as our new Communications and Engagement Manager. With a background rooted in arts leadership, nonprofit service, and collaborative storytelling, Emily brings a dynamic and deeply community-centered approach to her new role. Emily’s professional journey has included roles such as Operations Director at Stuart’s Opera House, Training and Activation Director for Air Collaborative, and Program Specialist at Arts West. She has also served as Education and Development Director at Stuart’s Opera House, contributing to the growth and sustainability of arts and cultural programming in the region. "I am over the moon and honored to be creating this new role at the Athens County Foundation,” Prince said. “After having been involved with the Foundation one way or another since I participated in the inaugural class of Leadership Athens County, it feels like coming home." Her earlier career began in New York where she worked as a producer, stage manager, actor, director, casting director, and dramaturge. These diverse roles helped shape her belief in the importance of story, creativity, and collaboration as tools for change. Since returning to Athens County in 2005, Emily has continued to lead with heart and vision—graduating from the inaugural Leadership Athens County class, co-chairing its alumni network, and serving on numerous boards, including the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and the Nelsonville Rotary Club. Emily lives on a farm in Athens County with her husband and sons, where she enjoys crafting, writing, and supporting creative projects that enrich local life. “Emily brings more than communications experience; she brings a way of working that reflects our values of courage, inclusion, trust, collaboration, and hope,” said Kerry Pigman, Executive Director. “Her approach will help deepen relationships, build stronger community ties, and engage more people in more places across Athens County.” From the stages of New York to the heart of Appalachia, Emily has used her voice to lift up others and create spaces where ideas and people thrive. She brings a deep belief in the power of connection, and we’re excited for her to help us engage more people in more places across Athens County. Through storytelling, creative outreach, and authentic collaboration, Emily will help share the incredible voices of our region and strengthen the bonds that move us forward together. In her role at ACF, Emily will lead communications and outreach strategies that align with the Foundation’s mission to build on the strengths of our community, advancing participation and collaboration to address longstanding challenges and pursue extraordinary opportunities. We’re honored to have Emily join the ACF team and look forward to the impact she will make through her storytelling, engagement, and leadership.

Athens Armory opens as new home to Athens County Foundation and BlueDot Coworking

By Mary Reed • October 2, 2025
September 30 open house draws stakeholders and community members alike.
Map of the U.S. with blue dots representing 2025 Civic Hub Grantee locations, sponsored by the Trust for Civic Life.

Athens County Foundation Recognized as One of 26 Civic Hubs Nationwide

September 26, 2025
Big Announcement: Athens County Foundation Receives National Recognition