Celebrating Philanthropy Award Honorees
At the Celebration of Philanthropy, we honor the people and organizations whose generosity and impact are building a stronger, more connected community.
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Spirit of the Day
THANK YOU for helping build a stronger, more connected central Ohio community!
Please share your thoughts on your Big Table experience by taking this survey. Stay tuned for highlights from this year's event.
THANK YOU for helping build a stronger, more connected central Ohio community where everyone has a seat at the table.
Your participation was crucial to making The Big Table® an inspiring day of kindness and conversation.
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Philanthropy Awards
The 2025 Harrison M. Sayre Award honorees, the Edwards Family, are builders, dreamers, and doers bringing opportunity to central Ohio.
The Harrison M. Sayre Award – 2025 Honorees
The Edwards Family
Given in honor of Harrison M. Sayre, The Columbus Foundation’s founder and 25-year volunteer director, The Harrison M. Sayre Award recognizes leadership in philanthropy in central Ohio.
In recognition of their many contributions to the Columbus region and their exceptional leadership, the Edwards Family has been selected as the 2025 honorees of The Harrison M. Sayre Award. As a family of builders, dreamers, and doers, the Edwardses have brought new development, character, and opportunity to central Ohio.
Philanthropy Awards
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Honoring ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, our 2025 Columbus Foundation Award honoree, for its innovation and impact in the arts.
Created in 1986, The Columbus Foundation Award recognizes organizations that have made a difference in the quality of life in our community.
In recognition of the important role the organization plays in anchoring central Ohio’s arts sector and its innovative work to inspire the community through music, ProMusica has been selected as the 2025 honoree of The Columbus Foundation Award. As part of the award, ProMusica will receive a $100,000 unrestricted grant from The Columbus Foundation.
Community
Celebrating a legendary jazz musician, Rahsaan Roland Kirk—a renowned multi-instrumental artist and creative genius.
A legendary jazz musician, Rahsaan Roland Kirk delighted audiences with his legendary ability to play several horns at once, often harmonizing with himself.
He knew his purpose in life was to be creative and to make music,” explained Marchbanks. “His philosophy was that music brings people together. Music is a healing force in the universe.”
Created in 2019, Columbus’ True Originals celebrates those in our community who expand the horizons of Columbus through groundbreaking, original work.
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Celebrating Columbus True Original, Bill Willis—a trailblazing and inspiring professional football player, family man, and community leader.
Recently named a Columbus True Original, Bill Willis was the first Black starter in professional football and, alongside teammate Marion Motley, is widely credited for helping to break the sport’s color barrier. In 1977, because of his impressive skill and enduring impact on the game, Willis was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Today, Willis is celebrated for his accomplishments both on and off the field. After retiring from the NFL, Willis served as the Director of the Ohio Youth Commission, a state agency dedicated to combatting criminality among young people.
His legacy—as a husband, father, professional athlete, and community leader—remains an inspiration, demonstrating the power of perseverance, hard work, and service to others.
“People would ask us, ‘Did we want to play football, to be like him?’” Willis’ oldest son, Bill Willis, Jr., told The New York Times in 2020. “Well, we wanted to be like the man he was.”
Created in 2019, Columbus’ True Originals celebrates those in our community who expand the horizons of Columbus through groundbreaking, original work.
Community
Celebrating the creativity and talent of Ann Hamilton, oeuvre of multi-disciplinary & artistic innovation.
A world-renowned visual artist and 2025 Columbus True Original, Ann Hamilton’s art may best be described as a multi-sensory experience that is tactile, immersive, and ephemeral.
Hamilton’s influence on the visual arts cannot be overstated, nor can her creativity or originality. As she poignantly stated, “One doesn’t arrive—in words or in art—by necessarily knowing where one is going. In every work of art something appears that does not previously exist, and so, by default, you work from what you know to what you don’t know. You may set out for New York, but you may find yourself as I did in Ohio.”
Created in 2019, Columbus’ True Originals celebrates those in our community who expand the horizons of Columbus through groundbreaking, original work.
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Community
Celebrating Columbus' True Original, Jeff Wilkins—co-founder and former president of CompuServe and a pioneering tech entrepreneur.
Long before Amazon, Facebook, and Google became household names, Jeff Wilkins entered an unassuming building at 1387 W 5th Avenue in Upper Arlington to launch CompuServe, a computer time-sharing service.
Equipped with little more than a folding chair and a phone book, Wilkins would go on to successfully help build a company that would fundamentally transform the way people connect and share information online.
Created in 2019, Columbus’ True Originals celebrates those in our community who expand the horizons of Columbus through groundbreaking, original work.
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Community
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Celebrating those in our city who expand the horizons of Columbus through groundbreaking, original work.
A world-renowned visual artist, a legendary jazz musician, a pioneering tech entrepreneur, and a trailblazing professional football player were all recognized as Columbus’ True Originals today at The Columbus Foundation. Created in 2019, Columbus’ True Originals celebrates those in our community who expand the horizons of Columbus through groundbreaking, original work.
This year, The Columbus Foundation is honoring the extraordinary talents and contributions of:
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Ann Hamilton, oeuvre of multi-disciplinary & artistic innovation
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Rahsaan Roland Kirk, renowned multi-instrumental artist
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Jeff Wilkins, co-founder and former president of CompuServe
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Bill Willis, professional football player and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
News & Reports
The Annual Report captures community initiatives, stories, and more—all made possible by generous donors!
The Annual Report captures community initiatives, donor stories, the year by the numbers, and more—all made possible by generous donors!
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