What Civic Development Corporation does

Civic Development Corporation of Ashtabula County (CDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1959 and headquartered in Ashtabula, Ohio. It operates as the only consolidated capital fundraiser in Ashtabula County, conducting a capital campaign every five years to raise funds from individuals, corporations, foundations, and employee groups for quality-of-life capital improvement projects across the county. Since inception, CDC has raised $26 million across 14 campaigns and funded over 200 projects spanning recreation, arts and culture, education, health and wellness, and community services. Recipient organizations include parks departments, schools, the YMCA, arts centers, Little League, and various other nonprofits and public entities.

CDC's core offering is a structured capital campaign fundraising service: it identifies impactful projects, mobilizes donors through grassroots and digital channels, provides project oversight through a project management committee, and requires recipients to maintain asset preservation funds for long-term sustainability. Donation intake is routed through multiple channels including direct mail, an online eTapestry portal, payroll deduction, donor-advised funds via dafdirect.org, Amazon Smile, and workplace employee campaigns at corporate partners. Community engagement is supported through Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube (impact videos), Mailchimp newsletters, and in-person presentations. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and operates with a small staff of 7 employees led by an Executive Director.

The current Campaign 2025: Embrace, launched in October 2024 with a $1.5 million goal, is funding eight projects including an inclusive destination playground ($500K), an arts center expansion ($400K), a community outdoor learning lab ($100K), marina improvements ($114K), pickleball courts ($75K), a downtown pocket park ($75K), YMCA fitness equipment ($55K), and Little League field restoration ($50K). As of March 2025, the campaign had reached 72% of its goal. CDC's business model is entirely donation-driven; it does not sell products or services and has no pricing tiers or commercial revenue streams.

Name

Civic Development Corporation

Legal name

Civic Development Corporation of Ashtabula County

Website

https://civicdevelopmentcorp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Civic Development Corporation of Ashtabula County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1959 that operates as the only consolidated capital fundraiser in Ashtabula County, Ohio, raising funds every five years from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund community capital improvement projects across the county.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Capital Campaign Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN), Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Community capital campaigns
• Nonprofit fundraising services
• Charitable capital improvement
• Community development funding
• Donor campaign management

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashtabula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Capital Campaign Donations: CDC raises funds through periodic capital campaigns every five years, accepting donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and employee groups. Donations are used to fund quality-of-life capital improvement projects throughout Ashtabula County.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Civic Development Corporation (CDC) of Ashtabula County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that organizes capital campaigns every five years to raise charitable donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and employee groups. CDC identifies impactful community projects, pools contributions, and provides project oversight to fund capital improvements in recreation, arts, education, and community services throughout Ashtabula County, Ohio.

Product overview

Civic Development Corporation of Ashtabula County (CDC) is a non-profit organization that serves as the only consolidated capital fundraiser in Ashtabula County, organizing capital campaigns every five years to raise funds for quality-of-life community projects. CDC's primary offering is its capital campaign fundraising service, which identifies impactful projects, raises funds from donors, and provides oversight for project completion. The organization supports diverse community projects including recreational facilities, arts and culture venues, educational facilities, and community services through structured multi-year campaigns like Campaign 2025: Embrace ($1.5 million goal) and Campaign 2020: Shared Vision ($1.7 million raised).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 projects completed and $26 million raised since 1959
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ashtabula County MetroparkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2022Collaborative partnership on The Arboretum at Red Brook, dedicated in April 2022. Approximately 50 trees planted in October 2021 to celebrate completion of Campaign 2020. Trees represent donors contributing over $5,000 to recognize their contributions sustainably.
• Lift Bridge Community AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2020Partnership for Bridge Street Gazebo project as part of Campaign 2020. Gazebo to be constructed near Bridge Street and Morton Drive for community and private events. Space owned by Ashtabula Port Authority.
• Harbor PerkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 October 2019Coffee label contest partnership for students. Kali Siembor won contest to design label for 'CDC and Harbor Perk 440 Roast' coffee. One dollar from each sale donated to YOUth LEADERship Ashtabula scholarship fund.
• Conneaut Port AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for marina infrastructure improvements as part of Campaign 2025: Embrace. The project will add a gravity-fed sanitary system to facilitate expansion of the marina by adding 40 new slips for larger vessels. Funding goal of $114,000.
• Ashtabula Area City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create a Community Outdoor Learning Lab behind Erie Elementary School. The $100,000 project will include fence, sidewalk, access path, and pavilion for environmental science education.
• Village of Jefferson Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign 2025 flagship project: Development of an inclusive destination playground at Memorial Field. The $500,000 project will feature innovative, accessible equipment reflecting Ashtabula County's agricultural roots, industrial history, and lake lifestyle.
• Ashtabula County Family YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign 2025 funding of $55,000 for new indoor cycling bikes, big kids tricycles, wagons, mini arcade basketball game, and flexi projector to improve family engagement.
• Geneva Little LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign 2025 funding of $50,000 for restoration of Carraher Field Complex including new drainage, outfield dirt, and essential safety enhancements.
• Conneaut Township ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign 2025 funding of $75,000 to add four new pickleball courts to meet the growing popularity of the sport.
• Park Place Non-Profit Center Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign 2025 funding of $75,000 for downtown Ashtabula redevelopment including streetscape improvements and a new pocket park at 4611-4617 Main Avenue.
• Ashtabula Arts CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign 2025 funding of $400,000 for expansion and renovation to enhance capacity for artistic creativity, education, and presentation. Will include new flexible classrooms, rehearsal spaces, and exterior improvements.
• LEADERship Ashtabula CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in tree planting at Red Brook Metropark as part of sustainable donor recognition program.
• Conneaut Arts CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric venue that has benefited from CDC grant funding. Campaign 2020 funding assisted with basement waterproofing and sidewalk replacement, enabling use of basement for extra class space and art studio.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Akron Community Foundation: Regional NE Ohio community foundation pooling charitable contributions and awarding grants to local nonprofits in Greater Akron. Directly comparable function to CDC as a community grantmaker, but at a larger urban-county scale.
• The Cleveland Foundation: The largest community foundation in NE Ohio, serving the broader Cleveland region with grants, donor-advised funds, and community initiatives. Operates the same community philanthropy / grantmaking role as CDC but at vastly larger scale across an urban region.
• The Dayton Foundation: Ohio's second-largest community foundation, running consolidated fundraising and strategic grantmaking for the Dayton region. Same community philanthropy role as CDC, operating in a different but analogous Ohio metro region.
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: Major Ohio community foundation serving the Greater Cincinnati region with consolidated giving, grantmaking, and community leadership. Analogous role to CDC for a different Ohio region.
• Toledo Community Foundation: Northwest Ohio community foundation providing grants and donor services across the Toledo region. Same intermediate community-philanthropy role as CDC in a neighboring Ohio geography.
• The Columbus Foundation: Largest community foundation in Ohio and one of the largest in the U.S., running donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and community initiatives for Central Ohio. Comparable function to CDC but at enormous scale.

Direct peers

• United Way (national & local chapters, e.g., United Way of Ashtabula County): United Way runs similar community-wide pooled fundraising (including employee workplace campaigns) and distributes funds to vetted local nonprofits — directly analogous to CDC's intermediary capital-campaign model, just on operating grants rather than capital projects.

Others

• LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation): National nonprofit that finances and supports community development, including capital projects for underserved communities. Comparable to CDC's capital-project intermediation mission but at national scale and with a focus on housing/economic development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDC_Ashtabula
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@civicdevelopmentcorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/civicdevelopmentcorporation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civic-development-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Civic Development Corporation