The Sorehcra Foundation concentrates its philanthropy locally in Ashland, OH, making very large, targeted gifts to a small number of community institutions. Its giving is dominated by multi-million dollar support for Ashland University’s academic and athletic programs and a major capital gift to the Ashland Family YMCA, indicating a focus on sustaining local higher education and community recreation infrastructure. The foundation appears to favor capacity-building and capital/program support over a broad grantmaking portfolio.
Sorehcra Foundation C/o Robert M Archer’s recent giving is defined by two exceptionally large grants to Ashland University, totaling $8,703,000 across 2023 and 2024 for academic, athletic, and extracurricular activity programs. That pattern places the foundation among the most concentrated local funders in the file, with a small set of Ashland-area institutions receiving most support. The foundation also backed a major capital campaign at the Ashland Family YMCA, signaling interest in community infrastructure as well as education. Beyond those flagship gifts, the foundation’s recent awards point to a tightly focused local portfolio. Ashland City Schools received support for scholarships and a baseball field renovation, and Ashland County Community Foundation was funded for Ashland Parenting Plus. The Ashbrook Center, Ashland Symphony Orchestra, and United Way also appear in the recent grants list, each tied to a specific project or seasonal campaign. Across these grants, the foundation’s giving reads as targeted institutional support for schools, campus programs, recreation, and community organizations in and around Ashland, Ohio.
Education is a central theme in the foundation’s recent grants. Ashland City Schools received $35,000 for scholarships and a gift, while New London Local Schools received $33,000 for scholarships and the University of Akron received $1,000 for the Zips on the Rise Scholarship. The foundation also funds community recreation and public space. The Village of New London received $50,000 for New London park improvement, and New London Greenwich Trail received $25,000 for hiking and biking trail improvements. Arts and civic programming appear as well. Ashland Symphony Orchestra received $40,000 for the 2023-2024 concert season, and The Ashbrook Center received $100,000 for the In the Spirit of ’76 initiative. In youth and family services, Ashland County Community Foundation was awarded $50,000 for Ashland Parenting Plus.
Grant sizes cluster at the top end of the foundation’s distribution: p25 is $20,000, the median is $33,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent record also includes outsized awards of $4,631,000 in 2023 and $4,072,000 in 2024, both to Ashland University. That mix suggests a portfolio that combines very large institutional commitments with a smaller set of more typical project grants. The grants list shows continuity rather than one-off experimentation. Ashland University appears in both 2023 and 2024, and Ashland City Schools also appears across multiple years. The foundation funds individuals, but the recent grants shown here are all to organizations. No program-related investments are listed.
$6.6M
$0
$388K
$6.6M
Most grants fall between $20K and $50K, with a median of $33K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$33K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Highly concentrated giving: very few, very large grants with repeat support to a single primary beneficiary (Ashland University) and occasional capital gifts to local nonprofits; focused on capacity-building and capital/program support rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Ashland University, Ashland Family YMCA
The foundation gives locally, and 94% of grants go to recipients in Ohio. Ashland is the main center of activity: Ashland University, Ashland Family YMCA, Ashland County Community Foundation, Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Ashland City Schools, and United Way are all in Ashland. New London is another recurring recipient city, with grants to The Village of New London, New London Local Schools, New London Greenwich Trail, and New London United Fund. Outside Ohio, one recent grant went to Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.
The recent grants show support for universities, schools, a YMCA, an orchestra, a community foundation, a church, a trail project, and a youth camp. Ashland University and Ashland Family YMCA are the largest examples, while Ashland City Schools, New London Local Schools, and Ashland Symphony Orchestra show the breadth of local institutions it funds.
Typical grant size is fairly high for a local funder: p25 is $20,000, the median is $33,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent list also includes two much larger grants to Ashland University of $4,631,000 and $4,072,000, plus a $900,000 gift to Ashland Family YMCA.
Yes. 94% of its grants go to recipients in Ohio, and the recent list is heavily centered on Ashland. New London is the other repeated Ohio city in the file, with multiple grants across park, school, trail, and community fund recipients.
Yes. Ashland University appears in both 2023 and 2024 with very large program grants, and Ashland City Schools appears in two 2023 and 2024 grants. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time awards.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASHLAND UNIVERSITY | ASHLAND, OH | $3,756,180 | 2026 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS |
| FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH | MANSFIELD, OH | $1,000,000 | 2026 | CHALLENGE GIFT |
| ASHLAND COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | ASHLAND, OH | $1,000,000 | 2026 | ASHLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA |
| BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY | BEREA, OH | $500,000 | 2026 | BW RISING CAMPAIGN |
| ACCESS | ASHLAND, OH | $125,500 | 2026 | FUND CHARITABLE MISSION |
| CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $100,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| KENT STATE UNIVERSITY | KENT, OH | $100,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ASL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FOUNDATION | ASHLAND, OH | $6,000 | 2026 | FUND CHARITABLE MISSION |
| ASHLAND HIGH SCHOOL | ASHLAND, OH | $1,000 | 2026 | WRESTLING TEAM |
| ASHLAND UNIVERSITY | ASHLAND, OH | $4,269,000 | 2025 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS |
| THE ASHBROOK CENTER | ASHLAND, OH | $975,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NEW LONDON LOCAL SCHOOLS | NEW LONDON, OH | $41,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| UNITED WAY | ASHLAND, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | 2024 CAMPAIGN |
| NEW LONDON UNITED FUND | NEW LONDON, OH | $12,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE GIFT |
| ASHLAND UNIVERSITY | ASHLAND, OH | $4,072,000 | 2024 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS |
| THE ASHBROOK CENTER | ASHLAND, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | IN THE SPIRIT OF '76 INITIATIVE |
| THE VILLAGE OF NEW LONDON | NEW LONDON, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | NEW LONDON PARK IMPROVEMENT |
| ASHLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | ASHLAND, OH | $40,000 | 2024 | 2023-2024 CONCERT SEASON |
| ASHLAND CITY SCHOOLS | ASHLAND, OH | $35,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS AND GIFT |
| NEW LONDON LOCAL SCHOOLS | NEW LONDON, OH | $33,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH | MANSFIELD, OH | $27,000 | 2024 | STEWARDSHIP |
| UNITED WAY | ASHLAND, OH | $15,000 | 2024 | THE SHOW GOES ON CAMPAIGN |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT CAMPAIGN |
| NEW LONDON UNITED FUND | NEW LONDON, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | ROTARY UNITED FUND CHARITABLE GIFT |
| UNIVERSITY OF AKRON | AKRON, OH | $1,000 | 2024 | ZIPS ON THE RISE SCHOLARSHIP |
| ASHLAND UNIVERSITY | ASHLAND, OH | $4,631,000 | 2023 | ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS |
| ASHLAND FAMILY YMCA | ASHLAND, OH | $900,000 | 2023 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| ASHLAND COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | ASHLAND, OH | $50,000 | 2023 | ASHLAND PARENTING PLUS |
| ASHLAND CITY SCHOOLS | ASHLAND, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | AHS BASEBALL FIELD RENOVATION |
| NEW LONDON GREENWHICH TRAIL | GREENWICH, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | HIKING & BIKING TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS |
| NORTHWESTERN OHIOCHRISTIANYOUTHCAMP | MCCUTCHENVILLE, OH | $20,000 | 2023 | CAMP DINING HALL PROJECT |
ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
$3,756,180ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
$1,000,000CHALLENGE GIFT
BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY
$500,000BW RISING CAMPAIGN
ACCESS
$125,500FUND CHARITABLE MISSION
CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
$100,000SCHOLARSHIPS
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
$100,000SCHOLARSHIPS
ASL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FOUNDATION
$6,000FUND CHARITABLE MISSION
ASHLAND HIGH SCHOOL
$1,000WRESTLING TEAM
ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
$4,269,000ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS
THE ASHBROOK CENTER
$975,000OPERATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
NEW LONDON LOCAL SCHOOLS
$41,000SCHOLARSHIPS
UNITED WAY
$25,0002024 CAMPAIGN
NEW LONDON UNITED FUND
$12,000CHARITABLE GIFT
ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
$4,072,000ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS
THE ASHBROOK CENTER
$100,000IN THE SPIRIT OF '76 INITIATIVE
THE VILLAGE OF NEW LONDON
$50,000NEW LONDON PARK IMPROVEMENT
ASHLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$40,0002023-2024 CONCERT SEASON
ASHLAND CITY SCHOOLS
$35,000SCHOLARSHIPS AND GIFT
NEW LONDON LOCAL SCHOOLS
$33,000SCHOLARSHIPS
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
$27,000STEWARDSHIP
UNITED WAY
$15,000THE SHOW GOES ON CAMPAIGN
NEW LONDON UNITED FUND
$10,000ROTARY UNITED FUND CHARITABLE GIFT
UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
$1,000ZIPS ON THE RISE SCHOLARSHIP
ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
$4,631,000ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, & ECA PROGRAMS
ASHLAND FAMILY YMCA
$900,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
ASHLAND CITY SCHOOLS
$25,000AHS BASEBALL FIELD RENOVATION
NEW LONDON GREENWHICH TRAIL
$25,000HIKING & BIKING TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS
NORTHWESTERN OHIOCHRISTIANYOUTHCAMP
$20,000CAMP DINING HALL PROJECT