Donor Stories

Every day, donors transform lives, hearts, and minds by investing in the causes they care about. You can transform lives, too, by applying your passion with thoughtful philanthropy. Find out how individual, family, business, nonprofit, and estate planning Columbus Foundation donors are making a difference through the most effective philanthropy possible.

 

Individual Donors
Every charitable individual has a story and each is unique; most start with personal experiences or relationships that serve as have their own stories to share about both the inspirational and practical aspects of how their philanthropic goals have been realized. 

Family Donors

Family giving experiences are different for everyone. We’ve found that families who have partnered with The Columbus Foundation to reach their charitable goals enjoy working together, learning about one another’s charitable interests, and creating opportunities for family philanthropy.

Corporate Donors

A company’s size doesn’t dictate its philanthropic goals or successes. Rather, it is fueled by the leadership and the dedication to making our community stronger. In some cases, that dedication includes matching employees’ contributions to causes they care about as well. CEOs, entrepreneurs, business partners, and law partners are just some of the examples of ‘company leadership’ that have opted to partner with The Columbus Foundation to help create their corporate philanthropy story.

Nonprofit Donors
The Columbus Foundation works daily to strengthen the nonprofit community by creating and managing nonprofit endowment funds. These funds help ensure the long-term sustainability of a nonprofit organization by providing an ongoing source of support. Endowments can be started with contribution from an organization, a donor, or with funds raised specifically for endowment building.

Estate Planning Donors
When you make the decision to give a gift from your estate through the Columbus Foundation, you start with something wonderful:

A personal or family legacy;

    • that makes gifts to your favorite charities or causes
    • in your name
    • year after year
    • forever


You might ask, why work with The Columbus Foundation?  We're a permanent institution founded in 1943, and decades from now, we will be here. The number of donors who want to invest in the community through their estate is growing. Future planned gifts known to the Foundation increased by 12.9 percent, and in 2006 totaled $665.5 million.  Most importantly, these gifts will have a permanent impact and help build a better community today and in the future.

Do you have a similar story to tell? Our donor services team are happy to work with you and your professional advisor. We can answer your questions or suggest language for your will or trust. 

To share your expererience, or for answers to your questions, speak with a Donor Services officer at 614/251-4000 by e-mail.  If you are interested in becoming a donor, please complete this brief Become a Donor form and a Donor Services officer will respond within the next business day.