Ashby Legacy Fund

What Ashby Legacy Fund does

Ashby Legacy Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation (EIN 83-2211346) established in 2018 and headquartered in Ashby, Minnesota, a rural community of approximately 500 residents. The foundation was founded by Rob Nelson (CEO of NorthRock Partners) and a group of Ashby alumni and community leaders, consolidating three predecessor organizations — the Community Club, Ashby Education Foundation, and Dollars for Scholars — into a single entity. Since inception, the foundation has raised over $750,000 in cumulative contributions and operates through three integrated teams: Community Team (city revitalization, Appreciation Days festival, parks and trails), School Team (grants to Ashby Public School teachers and staff, Legacy Lounge learning space), and Scholarship Team (a rolling post-secondary scholarship accruing from first grade).

The foundation's products are programs rather than goods or software. Core offerings include the annual Appreciation Days festival (third weekend in July, including a 5K/10K race, Legacy Awards ceremony, kiddie parade), school grants (over $70,000 awarded to Ashby Public School staff over three years), the rolling Ashby Scholarship Program (balances starting at $100 in first grade and growing to $1,200 by senior year, with graduate balances reaching $6,000-$10,000), and crisis-response initiatives ($72,000 tornado relief in July 2020, $52,000 COVID-19 relief supporting 100+ families and 12+ local businesses). Infrastructure projects include the $100,000+ Inclusive Play Park (supported by the Blandin Foundation) and a Bike Tune-Up Station installed at the Central Lakes Trail head in partnership with the MN Department of Natural Resources. The organization has no proprietary technology product; back-office operations rely on standard payment processors (Classy Inc., Stripe/Give Lively, PayPal, WePay, Authorize.net) and a WordPress website.

Ashby Legacy Fund is funded entirely through donations and charitable contributions rather than product sales. Revenue streams include general tax-deductible donations, annual fundraising events (notably the $10-per-person Fall Fundraiser), and major donor contributions from founding sponsors who have given in excess of $25,000 (Arrow Giving Foundation, Rob & Lucinda Nelson, CA Scholarship and Education Foundation). Distribution is entirely local — programs serve Ashby Public School students and staff and Ashby, MN community residents — and the organization is governed by a volunteer board of 11+ members including a President (Heidi Hoff), Secretary (Heather Dewey), and board members spanning alumni from the Class of 1974 through current students. The foundation's stated ambition is to distribute $250,000 annually into scholarships, community support, and school programming.

Name

Ashby Legacy Fund

Legal name

Ashby Legacy Fund

Website

https://ashbylegacyfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ashby Legacy Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation serving the residents, students, and school of Ashby, Minnesota through three programs: community revitalization (events, parks, trails), school grants, and a rolling K-12 post-secondary scholarship. It is funded entirely by donations and has raised over $750,000 since 2018.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Scholarship program management
• School grant funding
• Small town community development
• Charitable event fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashby

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, alumni, community members, and organizations. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with EIN 83-2211346.
2. Annual Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from events including Fall Fundraiser ($10 per person for door prize ticket, drink ticket, and appetizers), Appreciation Days events, and Class Reunion Challenge.
3. Major Donor Contributions: Significant contributions from founding sponsors and major donors who have contributed in excess of $25,000, including Arrow Giving Foundation, Rob & Lucinda Nelson, and various class alumni groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ashby Legacy Fund is a community-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that supports the Ashby, MN community through three program areas: the Community Team invests in preservation and development via city revitalization and events such as Appreciation Days; the School Team partners with Ashby Public School on grants, equipment, and student engagement; and the Scholarship Team operates a rolling post-secondary scholarship program that accumulates balances annually for students starting in first grade.

Product overview

Ashby Legacy Fund is a community foundation organized around three primary teams offering distinct programs: (1) Community Team Programs including Appreciation Days, City Revitalization, Legacy Awards, and various community events; (2) School Team Programs including School Grants and Giving Back initiatives; and (3) the Ashby Scholarship Program. The organization operates as a unified 501(c)(3) non-profit working across community enrichment, educational support, and scholarship funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Team Programs Community preservation and development programs for Ashby, MN, including Appreciation Days festival, city revitalization projects (parks, trails, senior center), bike tune-up stations, and seasonal community events.
• Appreciation Days Festival Annual community festival held the third weekend in July featuring a 5K/10K race, kiddie parade, live music, petting zoo, outdoor movies, and the Legacy Awards ceremony, all sponsored by Ashby Legacy Fund.
• Ashby Scholarship Program Rolling scholarship program for Ashby Public School students where balances accumulate each year enrolled (starting at $100 in first grade, increasing annually up to $1,200 in senior year), available to qualifying graduates who completed at least one year in the district for post-secondary education expenses.
• School Team Programs School partnership programs delivering grants, equipment funding, student engagement activities, and staff appreciation to Ashby Public School teachers and students.
• School Grants Annual grants awarded to Ashby Public School teachers and staff to supplement classroom budgets for equipment, supplies, and educational programs. Over $70,000 in staff grants has been awarded over three years.
• City Revitalization Projects Infrastructure improvement projects for Ashby's community spaces, including basketball court refurbishment, Central Lakes Trail bike tune-up station, ice rink installation, Inclusive Play Park, and senior center remodel.
• 5K, 10K & Family Fun Run Chip-timed 5K and 10K race hosted at the Central Lakes Trail during Appreciation Days, with a Family Fun Run component, with proceeds benefiting Ashby Legacy Fund.
• Ashby Roots Program Monthly gathering program for girls in grades 1 and above featuring crafting, journaling, and activities to build confidence, culminating in a 10-week #finishtogether program that leads to participation in the 5K run.
• Legacy Lounge Dedicated student learning and creation space at Ashby Public School, funded through Ashby Legacy Fund school grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students can accumulate scholarship balances of $6,000-$10,000 by graduation depending on annual fundraising
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MN Department of Natural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnered with the ALF Community Team (then Ashby Community Club) to install a Bike Tune-Up Station at the Central Lakes Trail head in 2018, making it easier for bikers of all ages to enjoy outdoor recreation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Initiative Foundation: Central Minnesota community foundation serving rural communities in a 14-county region with grantmaking, scholarships, and community development programming. Operates the same community-foundation-plus-local-scholarship model as ALF, but at a regional rather than single-town scale.
• West Central Initiative: Community foundation serving a nine-county region in west-central Minnesota through grantmaking, scholarships, and community programming. Closest peer in terms of rural Minnesota geographic footprint, donor-led governance, and integration of scholarship programs within a broader community-vitality mission.
• Dollars for Scholars: National network of community-based scholarship chapters (one of ALF's predecessor organizations was a local Dollars for Scholars chapter). The two are directly comparable as scholarship-granting community bodies serving student post-secondary education.
• Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation: Minnesota community foundation covering 16 counties and 1 tribal nation in southern Minnesota with grantmaking, scholarships, and rural community development. Operates on the same integrated community/scholarship foundation model as ALF but at substantially greater scale.
• Southwest Initiative Foundation: Minnesota community foundation focused on 18 counties in southwest Minnesota, providing grants, scholarships, and community vitality programs. Directly comparable product offering (multi-team community/school/scholarship architecture) and similar donor base composition.
• Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation: Minnesota community foundation managing donor-advised funds, scholarships, and community grants for northeastern Minnesota. Comparable structure (scholarship funds + community grants + small-town donor engagement) but operates at urban/regional scale rather than single-town.

Broad incumbents

• Blandin Foundation: Major rural Minnesota private foundation that invests in community vitality, education, and economic development in small towns. Directly comparable operating geography and grantmaking model (rural MN), with significantly larger scale and broader program areas than ALF.
• The Minneapolis Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in Minnesota, offering grantmaking, scholarships, and donor-advised funds across a broad metropolitan area. Comparable governance and program architecture to ALF but operates at city-wide scale with paid professional staff.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ashbylegacyfund
• Facebookfacebook.com/ashbylegacyfund
• Instagraminstagram.com/ashbylegacyfund

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ashby Legacy Fund