COLUMBUS, OH (January 24, 2017)—The Columbus Foundation’s Fund for Financial Innovation (FFI) provided support to a number of local nonprofit organizations working innovatively in 2016, from workshops and trainings to expanding social enterprise efforts.

COLUMBUS, OH (February 22, 2017)—The Columbus Foundation celebrated the outstanding work of our business and nonprofit leaders and innovators who were named the best in the United States for their accomplishments over the past year. The individuals and organizations were honored at the annual National Number Ones event held at the Foundation.

More than 5,000 central Ohioans gathered Wednesday in homes and offices, in schools and shops and libraries, for an hour of organized community discourse known as the Big Table.

The Columbus Foundation announced today the return of The Big Table® on Thursday, October 6. Launched in 2016, The Big Table is a day of community-wide conversations designed to inspire authentic human connection and civic engagement.

The Trustees of The Paul G. Duke Foundation are pleased to announce grants totaling over $155,000 to benefit residents of the Miami County area.

The Columbus College of Art & Design Wolfe Associates Scholarship Endowment was established in 1998 to give economically disadvantaged students the opportunity to pursue a degree at CCAD, specifically in the area of graphic arts.

The scholarship was established by a gift from the estate of George and Florence McGhee. George Crookham McGhee and Florence Marie Hinson were married in Pickaway County, Ohio on August 9, 1930. At that time, the country was in its worst economic depression, and combined their possessions totaled about $1,000. George was a teacher, farmer, and insurance man, and Florence was a teacher. Through their hard work, they changed their economic position to a degree that allowed them to create this generous scholarship. From their perspective as farmers, Mr. and Mrs. McGhee were greatly affected by the way the government’s decisions were negatively affecting members of the farming community. To that end, they chose to support students working for a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, to develop talent and knowledge in an effort to improve the economic and social status of American farmers; and hopefully to one day produce a future U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The fund grants to qualified students who are deaf or hard of hearing and have demonstrated a strong academic record; financial need; good character; and plan to pursue a full-time, post-secondary education at Gallaudet University, National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology, or Columbus State Community College.

The scholarship was created by the generosity of Frank Miseta and Elaine Lesnet Miseta. Frank was born in 1922. He was an Army Air Corp veteran of World War II. In 1950, he graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in law. Elaine Miseta was born in Edon, Ohio. She moved to Columbus for work, where she eventually began work for Bill Ingram at White Castle. Frank and Elaine lived in Upper Arlington, until Frank’s passing in 2004, after 54 years of marriage. Elaine retired from White Castle Headquarters on her 88th birthday after 67 years of service! The couple loved to travel and traveled the world three times. As part of their legacy, they founded this scholarship to benefit graduating seniors from high schools in Williams County, Ohio.

The scholarship was established by Dorrin and Ruth Ross. Natives of Licking County, Ohio, Dorrin and Ruth married and moved to Columbus in 1935. Mr. Ross began his career as a carpenter, worked for the Curtiss-Wright Company during World War II, and spent the remainder of his career with the Ohio Parole Board, working his way from Parole officer to a supervisor before he passed away in June, 1989. Following Ruth Ross’s graduation from Bliss College in Columbus, she became a corporate secretary and the owner and broker of Gateway Realty. Eventually, she took a position with the Ohio Rehabilitation Department, where she worked until disabled by illness in 1986. Mrs. Ross died in June, 1988. Very private people, the Rosses were active in their church and Dorrin was a mason. The scholarship is indicative of Mrs. Ross’s interest in supporting educational opportunities for rural students, inspired by the loss of her family’s farm during the Depression, after her graduation from college.