The Columbus Foundation and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation announce grants to support local projects
COLUMBUS, OH (December 7, 2015)—Teens involved in Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus’ West Side club will have a new place to call home thanks to The Columbus Foundation and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Capital Improvement Initiative Funding Partnership. A $110,000 grant will assist with the relocation of its Franklinton club, helping to purchase and renovate a property on Sullivant Avenue that will serve youth ages 13-18.
That grant, and others totaling more than $1.6 million, will support capital needs for area nonprofit organizations.
The partnership, a three-year collaboration that started in 2014, prioritizes and responds to capital needs in the community. Through this effort, The Columbus Foundation and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation jointly solicit, review, and fund capital grants in support of established and effective local nonprofits.
The size and layout of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus’ Franklinton location is no longer conducive to its needs. The Sullivant Avenue location, scheduled to open in January 2017, expects to serve 100 additional teens in the first year.
“This grant is important for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus because it will help us serve teens more effectively. Research conducted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America shows that teens are best retained in a club program when they have unique, teen-only spaces to spend time,” said Rebecca Asmo, executive director for Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus. “Our experience operating teen-only sites in Weinland Park and on the South Side has shown us that teens are eager to spend time in a place that is safe, fun, and filled with positive adult mentors. This teen site will be a wonderful sanctuary for teens in a neighborhood that has high rates of poverty and crime.”
Other nonprofit organizations receiving capital improvement grants through the partnership:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio—$90,500 to support four capital improvement projects at Camp Oty'Okwa.
Center for Balanced Living—$120,000 to replace a heating and cooling system.
Central Community House of Columbus, Inc.—$30,000 to support capital needs related to youth programming and social enterprise initiatives.
The Childhood League Center—$100,000 to support the relocation and construction of a new facility on the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Career Center campus.
Columbus Speech and Hearing—$100,000 to repair a parking structure.
CPO Impact—$119,639 to support renovation of a duplex to be used as a childcare facility.
Friends of the Conservatory—$200,000 to support Master Plan 2.0 Phase One, to expand facilities, improve visitor experiences, and increase earned revenue.
Gladden Community House—$19,160 to renovate the preschool, allowing for increased enrollment.
Goodwill Columbus—$90,000 to purchase automated controls to operate an existing parking garage for public use.
Lettuce Work Foundation, Inc.—$100,000 to expand the greenhouse operation, allowing more individuals with autism to be served through employment and job training skills.
Local Matters—$75,000 to support the relocation of office space and build-out of a teaching kitchen.
Mid-Ohio Foodbank—$124,843 to purchase a new truck for the Produce Express Metro Program and Produce Market Program.
National Church Residencies Foundation—$75,000 to furnish and supply medical home space at the Commons at Livingston and the Commons at Chantry.
Neighborhood Services, Inc.—$45,877 to widen a door and replace a cargo elevator, improving efficiency and increasing the number of clients served.
New Directions Career Center—$100,000 to update and replace hardware and software systems.
Pilot Dogs, Inc.—$50,000 to build a new kennel adjacent to the organization's main facility on Town Street.
St. Stephen’s Community House—$75,000 to renovate and purchase replacement equipment for the organization's commercial kitchen.
About The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation is the trusted philanthropic advisor® to 2,400 individuals, families, and businesses who have created charitable funds and planned gifts to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. Serving the region for more than 70 years, The Columbus Foundation is the seventh largest community foundation in the United States. The Foundation’s online marketplace, PowerPhilanthropy® makes giving mobile, easy, and smart. Visit columbusfoundation.org to learn more.
About The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation
The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville (the Foundations) support community health and quality of life programs in central and southeast Ohio, as well as advancing, on a national level, osteopathic medical care, biomedical research, and osteopathic medical education. The mission of the Foundations is to improve health and quality of life through education, research, and service consistent with the principles of osteopathic medical care. For more information about the Foundations, visit osteopathicheritage.org.