Pull up a Chair: February Newsletter

Emily Prince • February 13, 2026

Advancing Participation in Athens County

February reminds us that while spring is not far off, there are still opportunities for cozy evenings and community gatherings. As we begin a new year, the Athens County Foundation is honored to continue working with and supporting our nonprofit partners. They are essential to the strength, creativity, and care that define our community, and we are grateful for the work you do every day across Athens County to support our community.


Your contributions reflect what is possible when neighbors invest in one another. Your generosity helps provide critical lifelines, opens doors to opportunity, strengthens connections, and creates lasting impact throughout our community. From meeting immediate needs to building long-term solutions, your work helps ensure Athens County remains a place where people can thrive.


In the year ahead, ACF looks forward to walking alongside you. We see ourselves as partners in this work and are here to support you as you bring your philanthropic visions to life. Thank you for choosing to serve our community with purpose and care. We are proud to be in community with you. 


In 2022, we announced the establishment of the Athens County Racial Equity Fund (REF). This fund provides financial support to selected anti-racist educational projects and community programs, while building capacity and opportunities for People of the Global Majority in Athens County. Since its inception, the fund has supported 10 unique organizations, funding 13 projects totaling $54,170 in awards. 


At Athens County Foundation, we believe lasting change happens when people pull up a chair, listen, and work together. That belief is at the heart of our Racial Equity Fund and the partners who are shaping a more just and inclusive Athens County.


The Racial Equity Fund was created to support community-led efforts that address racial inequities and expand opportunity. Through collaboration with local organizations, leaders, and residents, the Fund helps ensure that those most impacted by inequity have a voice in creating solutions.

Across the county, partners supported by the Racial Equity Fund are doing this work side by side with community members. They are building trust, strengthening relationships, and creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and able to participate fully. These efforts reflect what becomes possible when leadership is shared and collaboration is centered.


The Women of Color Support Group at SAOP creates space for connection, belonging, and mutual support among women of color in Athens County. Supported by the Athens County Foundation, the group meets regularly to build relationships, share resources, and foster a sense of community among participants who understand the intersecting experiences of race and gender. Through monthly gatherings, shared meals, wellness activities, and intentional support of local businesses owned by people of color, the group has helped reduce isolation, strengthen cross-generational relationships, and create lasting friendships. Participants have described the group as a place where they feel seen, valued, and connected, highlighting the powerful impact of pulling up a chair together and building community side by side.

Your gift to the Racial Equity Fund helps make projects like the Women of Color Support Group possible. Contributions to this fund advance anti-racism and racial equity efforts across Athens County. Thank you for standing with people from the global majority in our community.

We invite you to continue pulling up a chair with us.


Full Newsletter

Drawing New Maps Together

By Dani Esperanza • June 16, 2026
A community is built through relationships.

Pull up a Chair: June Newsletter

By Emily Prince • June 9, 2026
Stronger Together

Leadership Athens County Celebrates 20 Years of Community Leadership and Connection

By Dani Esperanza • May 26, 2026
On Thursday, May 21, community members gathered at the Athens Armory to celebrate the graduates of the 2026 Leadership Athens County Flagship and Youth cohorts, honor 20 years of Leadership Athens County, and officially launch the Leadership Athens County Alumni Association. Hosted by the Athens County Foundation, the evening reflected the program’s long-standing commitment to cultivating local leadership rooted in connection, collaboration, and service. Over the past two decades, Leadership Athens County has brought together emerging and established leaders from across the region to deepen their understanding of Athens County, strengthen relationships, and develop the skills needed to create meaningful community impact. In her opening remarks, Athens County Foundation Executive Director Kerry Pigman reflected on the program’s origins and enduring purpose. “Leadership Athens County exists because people chose to invest in each other and in this community,” Pigman shared. “Tonight may represent the end of your program, but it is also an invitation. An invitation to stay engaged.” Throughout the evening, speakers returned to a common theme: leadership in Athens County is built through relationships, trust, and a shared commitment to community. Communications and Engagement Manager Emily Prince, a member of the very first Leadership Athens County cohort in 2006, reflected on how the program shaped her own leadership journey and deepened her sense of belonging in Athens County. “Leadership Athens County helped me to find the opportunities I needed to be who I want to be,” Prince said. “I want to be a person who forges a path, clears the rocks, and levels the roots. I want the next generation’s road to be smoother than mine so that they can run farther.” Graduates from both the adult and youth cohorts shared personal introductions of one another throughout the ceremony, highlighting the relationships, growth, and mutual support developed over the year. Their reflections emphasized the diversity of leadership styles and experiences represented across Athens County, from educators, nonprofit professionals, artists, healthcare workers, and advocates to students already stepping into leadership roles within their schools and communities. Leadership Athens County facilitator Dani Esperanza reminded attendees that the program is grounded in an asset-based approach to leadership. “The leaders we need are already here,” Esperanza said during the commencement ceremony. “We don’t need a ‘hero’ leader who will save the day and come up with all the solutions. We need to identify our individual and collective strengths, harness them to make change, and support one another throughout the process.” The event also marked the official launch of the Leadership Athens County Alumni Association, an initiative designed to strengthen connections among the program’s more than 400 alums and create opportunities for continued collaboration, mentorship, service, and learning. Speaking during closing remarks, Leadership Athens County alumna Mallory Swaim reflected on the importance of sustaining those connections long after graduation. “The greatest strength of Athens County has never been a building, an institution, or a single organization,” Swaim said. “It has always been the people. The people are willing to invest in one another. The people willing to stay engaged.” The evening also included fundraising efforts to support the Leadership Athens County Fund, which is helping to seed an endowment dedicated to supporting Leadership Athens County Youth in perpetuity and to ensuring that future young leaders can participate fully regardless of financial barriers. As the evening concluded, graduates, alums, families, and community partners celebrated not only the accomplishments of the 2026 cohorts but also the growing network of leaders who continue to shape the future of Athens County together. Nomination forms are open for both the Flagship and Youth Programs: