ACF's History

The seeding idea for a community foundation began with a few citizens who wished to form an organization that could act as a tax-deductable agent for project monies meant to benefit the community without encumbering City government over fund administration. In late 2008, a rural revitalization program called Horizons in association with the Northwest Area Foundation, administered by the University of Idaho Extension office, arrived in Ashton bringing many other local residents to the community table. The idea for a community foundation was discussed during that program and some more citizens came on board giving the idea a place to take root.

Since then, the incorporating committee has met and come to consensus on many issues involving official documentation, defining our purpose and mission statements, short-term and long-term vision, as well as working through the long and complicated checklist of items needed to achieve non-profit status. This constant watering and mulching of the local soil has brought forth a strong seedling which we hope to nurture into fruitful maturity.

Policy of Transparency

Although the record of our decisions and official documentation is on a private online group, we invite anyone who wishes to peruse that history to join. Complete record of our meeting minutes and the latest versions of our Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws are on file there. Please send us an email with a brief description of who you are, the reason for your interest, and your email address in order that the group administrator may include you as a member.

Our corporate annual meeting will always be open to the public. The ACF will have no voting members other than the Board of Directors, but comments and questions from the residents of the Greater Ashton Community will always be welcome. Contact us by email or USPS mail at any time.

Press Release - April 2010

Ashton Community Foundation Rises To Join Others In Philanthropy

Winters in Ashton mean people get into doing projects - sometimes solo, sometimes in groups. This is a good thing, and the products are varied. One project from the winter of 2009-2010 has been the formation of a Community Foundation for the greater Ashton community. People may have begun noticing recently a logo with the slogan Together we can grow a better Community. That is evidence that this foundation idea is about to take wings.

Apparently the idea had been floating around casually for quite some time, talked about in various gatherings of folk who said, someone really ought to start one. It appeared again in earnest at more than one of the study circles sponsored in the Fall of 2008 by the Horizons program - amazing how minds think alike. The idea then became one of several primary action items selected and supported by groups following the Leadership Plenty classes, and once again by those who chose to attend the Visioning Rally that occurred in April a year ago.

The group who took up the challenge found the Idaho Community Foundation to be an excellent model for what they would like to achieve here. That organization began with the Albertson family's interest in supporting education throughout the state, but the vision has grown from there to include more diverse giving, and the source is no longer one family but donors from the entire state.

The Ashton version would be similar. The foundation would be a central flow-through place for charitable giving - some projects determined by the Board, other projects specifically determined, defined, and limited by the donors themselves. It would offer tax-free status, which means both individual and business donors would benefit from exemptions on their taxes; and other non-profit organizations in town (which do not have their own 501C3 status) could be included for the benefit of their donors. The committee has spent the winter drafting and pulling together the paperwork and stringent guidelines that are required for a foundation like this to become a reality.

The whole idea is that together we can provide enrichment for the entire community in a way that none of us can do as individuals. The North Fremont Education Foundation has been in place and doing just that kind of mission for our schools for over twenty years at this point. They have sought grants and received individual donations then put those energies and funds to excellent use to the benefit of all of our students and schools.

Another model for charitable giving in town has been the Vasak Trust Fund which was a gift bequeathed to the town of Ashton by one quiet benefactor Richard Vasak. Without fanfare, his generosity continues to provide monies in many and varied ways for people and projects as it has for many years. The Red Hats projects receive some funds; the lighted sign at NFHS was a recipient; the Community Center received funds for a new stove two years ago; the Ashton Swimming Pool has received a large contribution this year - the list is long. The trust fund has been faithfully administered by the Hermann Marotz family - now Ila, Jack and Mickie (Marotz) Funke.

The committee is extremely grateful to the Horizons program for the jump-start given through training and encouragement; the Northwest Area Foundation for start up funding; and the small rural town Lewistown, Montana for inspiration during this formative stage. They have shared their experience and valuable paperwork as models with reassurances: just believe in the potential. The Lewistown Foundation begun in 1984 - 26 years ago - now has $14 million in assets, providing varying sums annually to their town's enrichment.

So the message is clear ... the committee has reason to believe that together we can grow a better community.

(Write-up complements of Sara Reinke)