Columbus, OH (May 3, 2024)—This week, The Columbus Foundation announced that Erin Scott has joined the organization as the Director of Capacity Building and Community Knowledge.
In this role, Scott will lead The Columbus Foundation’s sector building work, supporting central Ohio nonprofits with strategic grantmaking investments that strengthen organizational infrastructure, build capacity, and improve nonprofit and community outcomes. Additionally, she will develop and drive the Foundation’s capacity building programming, providing training, cohort-based learning, professional development, and educational resources to local nonprofit leaders. Scott’s role will build upon The Columbus Foundation’s commitment to capacity building programming and grantmaking, which launched in 2006 and was identified as a strategic priority in 2022.
“Capacity building is an essential component of supporting a healthy, responsive, and sustainable nonprofit sector, and we are thrilled to welcome Erin in this role,” said Dan Sharpe, Vice President for Community Research and Grants Management at The Columbus Foundation. “Erin’s dedication to central Ohio’s nonprofit sector and dynamic experience supporting organizations through strategy, fundraising, and program implementation will further strengthen The Columbus Foundation’s capacity building focus.”
An accomplished professional with 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Scott brings to The Columbus Foundation a wealth of expertise and a proven record of accomplishments. Scott previously served as Co-Executive Director of the Ohio Women’s Alliance, an organization she co-founded, where she provided coaching, strategic planning, and relationship-building support to women-led nonprofits at no cost. She also has extensive experience as a nonprofit consultant, providing professional counsel to organizations on topics ranging from board management and succession planning to best practices for fundraising and leadership development.
“I am excited to contribute to The Columbus Foundation’s mission of strengthening and improving the community through effective philanthropy and strategic capacity building,” said Scott. “I look forward to collaborating with central Ohio’s nonprofit leaders to help them move their missions further, faster for the betterment of the region.”
In addition to her professional experience as a nonprofit leader and consultant, Scott is also an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University John Glenn College of Public Affairs, where she instructs graduate and undergraduate courses on nonprofit finance, management, and governance. Scott received a Bachelor of Science from Ohio University’s College of Health & Human Services, as well as a Master of Public Administration from The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State.
About The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation, one of the top 10 community foundations in the United States, serves thousands of 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.