Since 1955, the Columbus Youth Foundation has made a difference in the lives of young people from low-income neighborhoods by providing healthy, positive opportunities to learn life lessons through recreation and sports.
Today, the Columbus Youth Foundation—which became the first Supporting Foundation when it was transferred to The Columbus Foundation in 1976—focuses on Columbus’ youth through annual grants that help young people attend summer camp, participate in recreational opportunities, and enjoy cultural enrichment activities. Among the Columbus Youth Foundation’s recent grant recipients are Adaptive Sports Connection, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio, Girls on the Run of Central Ohio, Recreation Unlimited Foundation, and YMCA of Central Ohio, among other organizations.
Highlight from the 2025 Best All-Around Student Awards at the Columbus Clippers
Since 1985, the Columbus Youth Foundation has also sponsored the Best All-Around Student Awards, an annual awards celebration that recognizes a male and female student from each middle and high school at Columbus City Schools for their outstanding citizenship and achievement.
Since the first Supporting Foundation was established in 1976, more than $1 BILLION has been collectively granted to support programs and causes in central Ohio and beyond. Today, The Columbus Foundation is home to 25 Supporting Foundations, each with unique missions and philanthropic goals.
“The Columbus Youth Foundation has provided opportunities for generations of our community’s youth by investing in organizations and activities to help them grow and develop,” said Cathy Lyttle, Chairperson of the Columbus Youth Foundation Board. “As we celebrate 70 years of impact, we are especially grateful to our founders, donors, nonprofit partners, and others who have been part of this incredible legacy.”
