Columbus Foundation Announces $2.1M in Arts Support—Largest Amount in 75-Year History

Special grants to Besa and ROX also announced!

Columbus, OH (June 5, 2019)—The Columbus Foundation today announced record-setting investments in the central Ohio arts sector for 2019, as well as additional grants aimed to support the growth and innovation of visionary nonprofits in our community.

“Arts and culture in Columbus is a key component to the overall health and vitality of our community,” said Douglas F. Kridler, President and CEO of The Columbus Foundation. “From the smallest of arts organizations run by volunteers to the largest arts organizations producing world class events, the arts here are helping establish Columbus’ reputation as a truly innovative and forward-looking city.”

THE ARTS

Thanks to the generosity of Columbus Foundation donors who have chosen to leave unrestricted gifts to help fuel a better future, the Foundation awards grants annually to high-performing arts organizations that meet community needs and expand arts and cultural experiences throughout central Ohio.

For 2019, 60 arts organizations received a total of $1,195,936 to support some of the community’s most treasured cultural institutions (see full list at end). The Foundation saw a 30 percent increase in applications from nonprofits for the Community Arts Fund, which primarily provides grants to organizations with budgets under $350,000.

In addition, seven organizations received a combined total of more than $800,000 as participants in the Foundation’s Big Explore, a community-wide celebration on December 29, 2018 that celebrated the 75^th anniversary by offering free admission to these locations. More than 55,000 people attended one or more of the attractions and attendance records were broken multiple venues.

Additional arts grants include $100,000 to Harmony Project, to help build out its administrative infrastructure and community concerts and $50,000 to Experience Columbus, to support the hiring of local artists for the upcoming American Society of Association Executives conference.

GRANTS TO NOTE

In May, the Foundation’s Governing Committee also approved grants focused on helping build the capacity of growing organizations impacting a broad scope of good work, from volunteerism and service in the community to empowering young women.

Grants include:

• $100,000 to Besa, to assist the growing organization as it connects businesses with volunteer activities.
• $75,000 to Ruling Our Experiences (ROX), to support the early build-out of a multi-disciplinary institute to provide training and professional development for adults working with and caring for girls.

ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING 2019 ARTS GRANTS:

• Actors’ Theatre of Columbus
• Arts Nascent Territory dba Ohio Paper Folders
• Available Light Theatre Inc.
• Ballet Metropolitan, Inc.
  
• Brass Band of Columbus
  
• Carpe Diem String Quartet
  
• CATCO-Phoenix, Inc.
  
• Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
• Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society
  
• Chamber Music Columbus
  
• The Chamber Music Connection Inc.
  
• Columbus and Central Ohio Children's Chorus Foundation
  
• Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA)
  
• Columbus Children’s Theatre
  
• Columbus Folk Music Society, Inc.
  
• Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus
  
• Columbus Museum of Art
  
• Columbus Symphony Orchestra
  
• Columbus Women's Chorus
  
• Evolution Theatre Inc. dba Evolution Theatre Company
  
• Franklin Park Conservatory
  
• Friends of Art for Community Enrichment
  
• Friends of Early Music Inc.
  
• The Fuse Factory Electronic and Digital Arts Lab Inc.
  
• Glass Axis
  
• Good Medicine Productions
  
• Hixon Dance
• Imagine Productions of Columbus Inc.
  
• Jazz Arts Group
  
• Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts Corporation
  
• Jefferson Academy of Music
  
• MadLab
  
• Maroon Arts Group
  
• New Albany Symphony Orchestra
  
• Ohio Designer Craftsmen
  
• Ohio Poetry Association Inc.
  
• OhioDance
  
• Opera Association of Central Ohio (Opera Columbus)
  
• Opera Project Columbus Incorporated
  
• Peggy R. McConnell Worthington Center for the Arts
  
• Phoenix Rising Printmaking Cooperative
  
• ProMusica Chamber Orchestra
  
• Red Herring Productions
  
• ROY G BIV Gallery for Emerging Artists
  
• Short North Stage
• Side Hustle Syndicate Inc.
  
• Six String Concerts, Inc.
  
• Sunday at Central A Recital Series
  
• Thiossane Institute
  
• Thurber House Incorporated
  
• Upper Arlington Community Orchestra dba The Greater Columbus Community Orchestra
• Urban Strings Columbus
  
• VSA Ohio
  
• Westerville Community Concert Band
  
• Westerville Symphony at Otterbein University
  
• Wexner Center for the Arts
  
• Wild Goose Creative Incorporated
  
• Women in Music-Columbus dba The Women's Music Club
  
• Worthington Chorus
• Xclaim

About The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation serves nearly 3,000 individuals, families, and businesses that have created unique funds and planned gifts to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. The Columbus Foundation is Your Trusted Philanthropic Advisor^® and one of the top 10 largest community foundations in the United States.