Capital improvement projects are often a critical component of building capacity for nonprofit organizations. Whether an organization is buying a new or larger building, renovating an existing facility, or purchasing new equipment or technology, these projects help nonprofits enhance their services and increase their impact.
Each year, The Columbus Foundation awards capital improvement grants through a competitive grantmaking process that is supported by Columbus Foundation donors who have left a legacy through Unrestricted Funds or Field of Interest Funds. These grants, which typically range from $10,000 to $100,000, help local nonprofits better meet their missions. Last year, The Columbus Foundation awarded more than $2.6 million in capital improvement grants to nonprofits serving the central Ohio region.
The Open Shelter, a day services shelter for homeless and marginally housed people in central Ohio, is one organization that received a capital improvement grant from The Columbus Foundation in 2023. For more than 40 years, The Open Shelter has provided crucial needs—such as food, clothing, and hygiene items—to those in crisis, as well as assistance with getting and staying housed.
In 2022, The Open Shelter moved to Parsons Avenue to a new and larger location. As Sheli Mathias, Director of The Open Shelter, shared, the additional space opened up new opportunities, including the possibility of the organization having its own commercial kitchen. “The Open Shelter has never had a kitchen. We have had access to a kitchen, but we have never had our own kitchen in which to prepare food for our guests,” explained Mathias.
However, when Mathias and her team looked into the installation, equipment, and permit costs, they soon realized the project would be far too expensive for the organization’s budget. In 2023, The Columbus Foundation awarded The Open Shelter a $50,000 grant to help build the commercial kitchen, which will support the growing needs of shelter guests.
"Capital campaigns, whether large or small, are time-limited efforts to raise funds to support something physical - land, building, or equipment. More importantly, these fundraising efforts launch the nonprofit into its next level of service delivery."
—Emily Savors, Senior Director, Grantmaking
According to Mathias, once the project is completed, the kitchen will enable the organization to serve fresh, hot meals to between 150 and 200 guests a day, five days a week. Although construction of the commercial kitchen is still underway, Mathias said she expects it to be fully operational by late December.
Large or small, capital campaigns help secure the resources necessary for nonprofits to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. Through the generosity of many donors, The Columbus Foundation is committed to helping local nonprofits expand their capacity and improve their service delivery through capital improvement grants.