Pull up a Chair: March Newsletter

Emily Prince • March 11, 2026

Celebrate Community

We look forward to welcoming you to the Celebration of Community on Wednesday, April 8, at Stuart’s Opera House. Whether celebrating one another, tackling challenges, or sharing information and inspiration, the power of community emerges when we come together. We need you to help us celebrate those who make a difference by nominating this year’s Woman of the Year and Senior of the Year awardees. These awards recognize individuals making a meaningful impact in the community.

RSVP

The Athens County Foundation is now accepting nominations for the Woman of the Year and Senior of the Year awards, which recognize individuals making a meaningful impact in the community.


Presented by the Women’s Fund, the Woman of the Year Award honors a woman who has made a significant impact on the community through leadership, service, or advocacy. The recipient demonstrates a strong commitment to strengthening Athens County by fostering collaboration to create opportunities for women and girls.


Presented by the Athens Jaycees Senior Fund, the Senior of the Year Award recognizes an individual aged 60 or older who has made a profound impact on the community. Through leadership, volunteerism, or philanthropy, the recipient fosters connections and collaborates to enhance the quality of life in Athens County—especially for fellow seniors. 
Nominate

Build Capacity through Endowments


Endowments build trust. An endowment is one of the strongest ways to show that you are thinking long term. It tells your supporters you are committed to your mission, careful with your resources, and building something that will last. It supports legacy giving and helps create a steady footing for the future.


If you are considering building an endowment or simply want to explore what it could look like for your organization, we are here to listen and serve as a thoughtful partner. (LINK: Let’s start the conversation).

Why build at ACF? When you build an endowment at the Athens County Foundation, your impact goes further. Every contribution, whether money, time, talent, ideas, or connections, helps strengthen Athens County.

Foundation earnings support programs like Leadership Athens County, Strengths+Strengths for nonprofits, and Project Co-Create, initiatives that help reimagine and reshape the systems we share in Athens County. Together, we are growing leaders, building capacity, and strengthening collaboration across the community.

Talk to us about a fund

Smarter Messaging and Marketing for Nonprofits


This practical workshop helps nonprofit leaders clarify their core message by using stakeholder personas. Participants will identify key audiences, create simple personas, and explore how to communicate value from each stakeholder’s perspective. The session also covers choosing the right communication channels, tailoring messages, and using AI to enhance outreach effectiveness.
Register

From the Community:


Thank you to Rural Action for submitting their story of reflection.


Reflection of Exploring Athens: A Journey of Connection


The day began at the shelter with introductions and an overview of the planned activities, followed by breakfast at Village Bakery. Upon request, the owners graciously donated 12 $10 gift cards to support residents as they regain confidence and comfort as they reintegrate into the community. They recognized the value of helping participants discover welcoming local resources, including the Village Bakery. The additional five gift cards were given directly to the clients for future visits.


The group then visited Kindred Market and the Athens Public Library to learn more about nearby community resources before boarding the 12:05 p.m. Athens Public Transit bus to Nelsonville. By this point, the participants had clearly connected, sharing stories, laughing, and enjoying one another’s company. On the bus ride, one client opened up about always being a “city person” who never felt comfortable in rural areas. But she went on to say, “this is exactly what I needed,” noting that the supportive group and uplifting experiences were helping her create new, positive memories in a rural community.


Upon arriving in Nelsonville, the group enjoyed lunch from Fullbrooks Café and listened to Tyler McDaniel, President of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds, discuss the region’s history of labor unionization and its influence on local communities today. Before returning to Athens, they walked around the square to identify local organizations that foster wellness and cooperative values, including the Nelsonville Public Library, New Leaf Marketplace, Jobs and Family Services, The Hive, Stuart’s, and the Athens County Foundation.


By the end of the tour, the participants chose to exchange phone numbers so they could stay connected and plan more outings together. They also requested a group photo of the four of them at the Nelsonville bus stop.

Stacy Strauss is ACF's new Director of Finance and Administration

By Emily Prince • September 1, 2026
Please join us in welcoming our new Director of Finance and Administration, Stacy Strauss. Stacy looks forward to using her skills to strengthen our community! She brings energy, creativity, and a thoughtful approach to her work, along with a genuine ability to bring people together around shared goals. Her experience spans financial management, fundraising and grant writing, program development, business strategy, and developing materials that tell a clear, compelling story.  Just as importantly, she enjoys helping others grow. She has experience leading and training teams, building collaborative cultures, developing recruitment strategies, and finding practical, creative solutions to complicated challenges. Whether working with colleagues, community partners, or other stakeholders, she builds relationships rooted in trust, communication, and a shared commitment to advancing good ideas.

Fall Grant Applications Open

By Shayne Lopez • August 28, 2026
Athens County's greatest asset is its people. Every day, neighbors, organizations, and local leaders bring skill, creativity, and deep knowledge of this place to the work of building a stronger community. Our grantmaking invests in those strengths, because the best solutions are already growing here, led by the people who call Athens County home. Our grantmaking builds on the strengths already here by investing in the initiatives, people and organizations, relationships, skills, and ideas working to address longstanding challenges and pursue extraordinary opportunities. 

Pull up a Chair: August Newsletter

By Emily Prince • August 12, 2026
Collaboration and Partnership