The Columbus Foundation celebrated its 2016 philanthropy results Wednesday morning — a tally that includes a record $205.8 million in grants awarded — and announced the return of The Big Give.

The Columbus Foundation named 10 local artists as the 2018 recipients of The Spirit of Columbus Award. The announcement was made at a civic celebration held today at the Foundation.

The Trustees of The Paul G. Duke Foundation are pleased to welcome new Board member Deborah Miller, the executive director of Charitable Healthcare Network (formerly Ohio Association of Free Clinics).

At the Columbus' True Originals event in 2020, The Columbus Foundation announced a $200,000 grant to preserve the home of Columbus artist and MacArthur Fellow Aminah Robinson, who passed away in 2015. The grant caps the Foundation’s 75th anniversary and is a fitting tribute to Robinson, who created multiple original pieces for the Foundation’s 50th anniversary in 1993

The Columbus Foundation named Dr. Amy Acton, Director of the Ohio Department of Health, as the 2020 recipient of The Spirit of Columbus Award in recognition of her outstanding work and leadership during this public health crisis.

The Columbus Foundation’s Governing Committee announced that the Foundation is expanding its Leadership Team and expanding its Employee Assistance Program to include additional corporate clients.

The Foundation’s Governing Committee approved the establishment of the Central Ohio Digital Divide Fund. The fund, seeded with $500,000, was created as a branch of the Emergency Response Fund, launched in March to address needs related to COVID-19. Support from the Central Ohio Digital Divide Fund will provide opportunities to expand the research regarding online connectivity challenges, and implement ideas included in a broadband access report commissioned by the Foundation and released earlier this month.

The Columbus Foundation appointed Marchelle E. Moore, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Encova Mutual Insurance Group, and Matthew A. Scantland, Principal at Twofold Ventures, and co-founder and former CEO of CoverMyMeds, to serve on its Governing Committee in 2021.

The Columbus Foundation announced “5 Nonprofits to Watch”, debuting a new annual program to identify innovative nonprofits that are positioned to make a significant difference in our community.

The Columbus Foundation’s Governing Committee recently approved six grants totaling $317,250 from the Fund for Financial Innovation (FFI). FFI was established in 2010 to support nonprofit organizations and projects that promote social innovation and social enterprise; and partnerships, collaborations, affiliations, or mergers.