The Benchmarking Central Ohio 2024 report examines the region's health, vitality, and well-being. The report, now in its eighth edition, offers key insights about central Ohio's strengths, challenges, and opportunities for growth.
From empowering youth to find stability to exploring the science of kindness, this issue of NEXUS highlights the latest news and initiatives at The Columbus Foundation.
Each year, The Columbus Foundation welcomes donors, nonprofit leaders, and community members to celebrate the honorees of the Philanthropy Awards who, through their generosity, are making a lasting difference.
Search by name or browse by category to find more than 1,200 area nonprofit organizations to support.
In celebration of World Kindness Day on Wednesday, November 13, the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation is sharing daily kindness actions between November 13 and 17. Check back daily for opportunities to engage with, practice, or celebrate kindness with us!
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THANK YOU for helping build a stronger, more connected central Ohio community where everyone has a seat at the table.
Your participation was crucial to making The Big Table® an inspiring day of kindness and conversation. Many groups discussed keeping their Big Table conversations going by staying in touch or meeting again.
Please share your thoughts on your Big Table experience by taking this survey.
LEARN MOREAnn Fisher, former host of WOSU's All Sides with Ann Fisher, recently sat down with Clark Kellogg, Chairperson of The Columbus Foundation Governing Committee, and Angela Parsons, JD, CAP®, Vice President of Donor Services at The Columbus Foundation, to discuss 2024 Harrison M. Sayre Award honoree Betsy Rueb's remarkable $55 million gift and its monumental impact on the community.
WATCH THE VIDEOThe Columbus Foundation Award – 2024 Honoree
The Center for Healthy Families
Created in 1986, The Columbus Foundation Award recognizes organizations that have made a difference in the quality of life in our community. This year’s Columbus Foundation Award was presented to The Center for Healthy Families. Founded in 2007, The Center for Healthy Families is dedicated to elevating the agency of girls and young women—including pregnant and parenting teens and young adults—to have healthy, thriving lives by surrounding them with a network of care and support.
Recently, The Columbus Foundation sat down with Toshia Safford, President and CEO of The Center for Healthy Families, along with two of the organization’s participants—Bethany and Binta—to learn more about how The Center for Healthy Families is transforming lives and building healthy families.
WATCH THE VIDEOThe Harrison M. Sayre Award – 2024 Honoree
Betsy Rueb
Given in honor of Harrison M. Sayre, The Columbus Foundation’s founder and 25-year volunteer director, The Harrison M. Sayre Award recognizes leadership in philanthropy in central Ohio. For her immense generosity and historic gift to the community, Betsy Rueb was named the 2024 honoree of The Harrison M. Sayre Award.
After many years of living simply and investing wisely, Betsy passed away 2023, leaving her assets to The Columbus Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship fund to support promising students throughout central Ohio who may lack financial resources to continue their education. Through the fund, Betsy’s legacy will live on, improving the lives of students and their families in perpetuity.
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The Annual Report captures community initiatives, donor stories, the year by the numbers, and more—all made possible by generous donors!
The Columbus Foundation has invested in the neighborhood through numerous grants that support the arts, youth services, workforce development, housing, social connection, and more. This whole-neighborhood approach is designed to expand opportunity and improve the quality of life among individuals and families living on the Near East Side.
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With deep roots in the community, the Junior League of Columbus has worked alongside The Columbus Foundation for many years. The organization was among the first nonprofits to create an Organization Endowment Fund at The Columbus Foundation, establishing the Junior League Fund in 1957.
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Inspired by Roberta Jones-Booth's love and unwavering support of her community, family and friends, her family established the Roberta Jones Booth Scholarship Fund in 2004. The scholarship supports students who are graduating seniors from Marion Franklin High School or who reside within the Marion Franklin Civic Association boundaries.
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In 2005, Barbara Brandt established the Brandt Family Next Generation Fund, initially allocating $250 a year to each grandchild to grant to a nonprofit of their choice. However, before they could donate to their selected nonprofits, Barbara stipulated that the grandchildren first conduct research on the organizations.
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Although the Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition was born out of the COVID-19 emergency, digital equity remains a priority at The Columbus Foundation.
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Thanks to unwavering support from the community, the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) is building a new crisis care center to provide hope for adults experiencing a mental health and/or addiction crisis. When it opens in spring 2025, it will provide a person-centered approach to crisis care and offer a comprehensive range of services designed to meet an individual’s unique needs.
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The Columbus Foundation, its Supporting Foundations, and its donors have long supported Catholic Social Services through a variety of grants—including targeted investments to support the operation and renovation of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Center, increase recruitment for the Foster Grandparent Program, and help launch the pilot of Stay the Course®, among numerous other investments.
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In a Q&A recently featured in our LinkedIn newsletter, Meeting the Moment, Carlie J. Boos, Esq., Executive Director of AHACO, shared her insights on central Ohio’s housing opportunities and challenges, as well as the collaborative role AHACO plays to help close our region’s housing gaps.
READ MOREDiscover how Mansion Day School, one of The Columbus Foundation’s 5 Nonprofits to Watch in 2024, fosters academic excellence and lifelong learning. Located in Columbus' Near East Side, this coeducational school builds strong educational, social, and cultural foundations for preschool through 5th-grade students in a diverse, nurturing environment.
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