Explore Benchmarking Central Ohio 2024, the latest in a series of community benchmarking reports commissioned by The Columbus Foundation, starting in 2007. This in-depth report assesses five vital areas—population, economy, personal prosperity, lifelong learning, and community well-being—offering valuable insights to empower civic, nonprofit, and business leaders with data to drive positive change. Together we can create responsive and sustainable solutions to the complex challenges facing our region.

The Columbus Foundation has announced that Jeff Edwards, President, CEO, and Chairman of Installed Building Products and President of Edwards Companies, will serve as Chairperson of the Foundation’s Governing Committee in 2026.

Ervin Marriot was a dedicated teacher who instilled in his students a desire to think for themselves, allowing them to discuss current topics and how they would be personally affected. He taught in the Grandview Heights School System from 1973 until his death in a car accident in 1988. Ervin loved to travel, having visited more than 50 countries during his lifetime, and he shared the insights he had gained through these travels with his students. He will be remembered as a teacher, friend, and coach.

The fund was established in memory of Becky Waldron. Mrs. Waldron served as the secretary of Southeastern High School of the Ross County Public Schools for many years until her death in 1995 from breast cancer. This fund will support scholarships for students of Southeastern High School in Chillicothe, Ohio.

To provide scholarship awards for deserving students who have attended the Colonial Hills Elementary School in Worthington, Ohio who are pursuing post-secondary education at a college, university, or junior college.

Mary Eleanor Leonard Morris was born in West Liberty, Ohio on April 8, 1892. She went to Oxford College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, where she met her husband, James Relle Morris. Married in 1914, they settled in London, England, where both did extensive volunteer work in hospitals in the lead-up to World War II, administering to American Soldiers. Upon the death of her mother in 1936, Mrs. Morris returned to West Liberty to be of help to her father. Mr. Morris’ work eventually took him to California, and Mrs. Morris divided her time between California and Ohio. When Mr. Morris died in 1967, Mrs. Morris returned to West Liberty permanently. Through her estate, Mrs. Morris created this fund to support work in her home community in Logan County, Ohio.

The scholarship supports student-athletes from Bexley High School who have contributed on the field of athletic competition, who rank in the top half of their class academically, who are enrolling in a college or university following graduation, and who are overall assets to the Bexley community. The scholarships are to be in the form of equal awards to one male student athlete and one female student athlete in the graduating class of Bexley High School.

Beginning in the 1970’s, a group of men, including Dave Tingley, Frank Machinsky, and Woody Hayes, worked together to provide financial support to former Ohio State University athletes and their families in need. Eventually, the group grew and created the Columbus Roast Association. The Columbus Roast Association created a comedy event to raise money in support of its goal to provide financial support to those in need. As the group evolved and grew, it raised significant funds through its annual Roast. In 2017, the group created this scholarship to continue its generosity by transitioning the funds it raised into a scholarship that supports high school seniors in need from Franklin and Madison counties as they pursue their college degree.

The American Association of University Women, founded in 1881, has been dedicated to uniting “alumnae of different institutions for practical education work.” One aspect of meeting this goal is providing scholarships for deserving women to further their education. To that end, the Westerville Branch of AAUW provides three scholarships each year, one for Westerville Central High School, one for Westerville North High School, and one for Westerville South High School.

A brief history of the Ohio Nutrition Council begins in the 1940s, when the United States Department for Defense became involved in World War II and nutritional status of our soldiers and the Allies became a global issue. As men were recruited to join the war, this resulted in fewer farmers and their families in the United States to produce more agricultural commodities. Items such as wheat and corn were exported to help nourish soldiers and financially stabilize both economies. At home, Americans were asked to ration food to deter food shortages. Recognizing the need for families to learn more about food preservation and nutrition, government agencies discussed these issues early in 1941, the National Conference for Defense. One of the outcomes of the conference was for the USDA to establish the nationwide organization of state and county nutrition committees. Under the direction of the USDA, the Land Grant College in every state (a college appointed in each state to provide agricultural and mechanical programs) was designated to form a State Nutrition committee. With the approval of President Bevis at The Ohio State University, the new committee was formed. There were several purposes of the committee. The first was to coordinate nutrition activities of various agencies across the state. The next was to meet wartime needs and the final purpose was to work toward the development of a broad, long-range program of nutrition education. Eventually, county nutrition committees were formed, leading to the creation of state conferences for further nutrition opportunities. Many food, nutrition, and public health professionals dedicated many hours to educate and train teachers, students, and Ohio citizens about healthy eating. This scholarship is a tribute to those dedicated professionals.