Cash back: Honest teen rewarded by anonymous donor

Ashley Donaldson, 15, found $2,000 cash in an envelope in a North Dallas, Texas, parking lot.

Without hesitation, the teen handed over the money to authorities.

Dallas police told her that if no one claimed the money, it would be hers in three months.

Then policy changed.

Ashley's community took action.

Hailed as a local hero for her honesty, Ashley was suddenly on the receiving end of encouraging emails and unexpected generosity, including a $4,000 anonymous donation.

Her supporters even lobbied the city to overturn the decision to keep the cash.

When Ashley first found the money, keeping it was not an option. She certainly could have used it; at the time, she and her four siblings were living with her parents in a one-bedroom apartment.

That didn't matter. The money wasn't hers to keep.

"This could be someone else's life, this could be someone's home," she told News 8. "If I took it, I could never live down the guilt that would be in me."

Her parents beamed with pride.

"It was like an experience that presented itself — like a test — and my daughter passed with flying colours beautifully," said Ben Donaldson, Ashley's father.

As Ashley waited to see if the money would be reunited with its owner, the City of Dallas changed its policy on found cash. Unclaimed money would be deposited into the city's general fund rather than returned to the initial finder.

Ashley no longer had any claim on the $2,000.

"I don't regret making the decision I did," she said. "I feel proud of myself for giving the money back. It's one of the biggest decisions of my life."

News 8's follow-up coverage to Ashley's story forced the city to backtrack. After the legal waiting period, the money would be hers as initially promised.

Emails poured in from strangers and donations started trickling in.

One stranger, moved by Ashley's story, donated $4,000 to Ashley and her family .

The generous gift was to reward Ashley's honesty and to help her family.

Ashley stands by her decision to do the right thing, regardless of reward or public acknowledgement.

"Stand for what you believe is right, no matter what anyone says, no matter what they might think, it really doesn't matter. You have to know that you did the good thing," she said.

(Photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty)