Through the Equitable Small Business Fund, The Columbus Foundation seeks to make Program-Related Investments (PRIs) that will help close the racial wealth gap in the Columbus region and catalyze the flow of flexible capital to support small businesses owned by people of color.

When Jeremy Slagle teamed up with Thad DeVassie and a group of others for The Big Table at Midwest Photo in August 2016, he was excited to participate and see what he could do to help strengthen our community.

Founded in 2003, Community Development for All People (CD4AP) has been working to strengthen the South Side and create a sense of community among a diverse racial and socio-economic area. With the organization’s breadth, depth, and strong leadership, The Columbus Foundation is proud to present CD4AP and Rev. John Edgar with The Columbus Foundation Award.

Andrew Levitt has a booming voice and a big heart to match. From volunteer opportunities and service projects in high school and college, to becoming involved in the community during his adult life, helping others was, and is, an important part of what makes him who he is today.

The 55-bed Maryhaven Addiction Stabilization Center (MASC) on Columbus’ South Side sits at ground zero for the opiate crisis in Franklin County. As opiate overdoses continued to skyrocket, Shawn Holt had been Maryhaven’s President and CEO for only months. Working closely with the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) and other partners on the front lines of the crisis, they came up with an idea to create an innovative new treatment option for clients battling opiate addiction.

For nearly 40 years, Boundless has been a champion for individuals with developmental disabilities and/or behavioral health challenges, committed to empowering them with the freedom and opportunity to live boundless lives.

A $63,865 grant from the Emergency Response Fund to Southeast Healthcare supported various needs, including costs to implement telehealth services for clients and the purchase of medical and sanitation supplies.

Columbus Urban League received a $75,000 grant from the Emergency Response Fund to strengthen and increase service delivery, including staffing, in response to COVID-19.

Inspired in part by their determined mom, Brian Yeager and his sister, Michelle Yeager-Thornton, have set out to create a new way to build community—one apartment and family at a time. In 2014, they established the Champion Cares Foundation, a Donor Advised Fund at the Foundation. Through their fund, they regularly support organizations that focus on children and basic needs.

In recognition of their incredible generosity and contributions to the central Ohio region, Larry and Donna James have been selected as the 2022 honorees of The Harrison M. Sayre Award.