A decades-long partnership with Soroptimist International of Ashland (SIA) is building a future for women and girls in the Rogue Valley.
For more than forty years, SIA has shown up for our community with scholarships, service projects, mentorship programs, and a steady commitment to those who call the Rogue Valley home. Now, that commitment is entering a new chapter — one designed to benefit generations to come.
Earlier this year, SIA became the first organization to establish an Agency Endowment Fund with ACHF. This milestone reflects the depth of our long-standing partnership and a bold vision for what sustained community investment can look like.
What Is an Agency Endowment?
An Agency Endowment is a special fund that a mission-aligned nonprofit can establish at ACHF to support the organization in perpetuity. An endowment is built to grow — generating interest over time that can be reinvested or used to support the organization’s ongoing work.
For SIA, the endowment also opens the door to more complex forms of giving. Previously, accepting gifts of stock or other assets was challenging due to a lack of administrative capacity. Now, ACHF handles that infrastructure, making it easier for donors to give in meaningful, lasting ways.
“Before this, if someone wanted to donate an asset like stock or real estate, we’d have to manage all the paperwork and logistics ourselves,” Pat Acklin explains, one of SIA’s longest-serving Ashland members. “Now, ACHF has lifted that burden.”
Forty-Plus Years in the Making
The relationship between SIA and ACHF traces back to 1982, when Soroptimist made a $1,000 gift to update a patient room at Ashland Community Hospital. This beginning set the tone for decades of collaboration, spanning tens of thousands of dollars for community health efforts.
Acklin was a driving force behind establishing the endowment. For her, the desire to formalize this partnership through an endowment wasn’t just a financial strategy — it was a reflection of how deeply SIA cares about the staying power of its work.
“We’re a service organization, meaning we roll up our sleeves to advance programs for women and girls,” says Acklin. “This endowment is designed to earn interest and grow over time, and to sustain the work we do.”
SIA’s Impact in Ashland
Soroptimist International of Ashland is part of a global all-volunteer network that provides resources and opportunities to women and girls to reach their full potential. Each year, SIA distributes between $25,000 and $50,000 in scholarships, grants, and awards to local women and girls. Since 1949, the group has partnered with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to provide pillows and blankets for patrons of the Allen Elizabethan Theater — with proceeds supporting both the festival and SIA’s scholarship fund. Members also show up for community road cleanups, mentorship programs, and service projects throughout the year.
A Natural Partnership
“When we started thinking about what it would mean to truly sustain our mission into the future, ACHF was the obvious partner,” says Acklin. “They’re local, they’re trusted, and they have the infrastructure to handle gifts that a small nonprofit simply can’t manage on its own.”
For Stephanie Roland, our executive director, the endowment reflects the expanded mission of ACHF and its commitment to building resources that strengthen community health.
“Establishing the first nonprofit-founded endowment at ACHF is an exciting milestone for us,” she says. “The Soroptimists’ work to empower girls and women aligns deeply with our mission to promote health and wellness for all.”
The through-line of it all: when women have greater economic stability and access to education, health outcomes improve across the board — for children, for households, for entire communities.
An Invitation to Others
Acklin hopes SIA’s decision to establish the first Agency Endowment Fund at ACHF is just the beginning. She sees it as an invitation to other local nonprofits, to individual donors, and to anyone who believes in the power of long-term, community-rooted investment.
“I hope other organizations will see what’s possible and follow suit,” she says.
Gifts to SIA’s Endowment Fund at ACHF are a lasting way to invest in the future of women and girls in the Rogue Valley. Donors can give directly to the endowment, knowing their contribution will grow over time and continue supporting SIA’s scholarships, grants, and programs for years to come.
To make a gift or learn more about Agency Endowment Funds, contact Stephanie Roland at 541-482-0367 x2.
Group photo of Soroptimist International of Ashland by Stephanie Ryden
