Half-million dollar anonymous gift launches Gifts of Kindness™ Fund at the annual Celebration of Philanthropy; philanthropic awards presented to the Crane Family for their generous leadership in central Ohio and the Wexner Center for the Arts for bringing arts and cultural experiences to life for audiences of all ages
COLUMBUS, Ohio (September 17, 2014)—The Columbus Foundation, the nation’s seventh largest community foundation, announced an historic all-time high in grants awarded for 2013―$160.6 million―at its annual Celebration of Philanthropy, 70 Years Strong, held today in Davis Hall today. The Foundation, its family of donors, and guests celebrated an extraordinary year in community giving, announced the new Gifts of Kindness™ Fund, named the 2014 philanthropic award winners, and reported on the results of several strategic initiatives.
“There is a spirit of philanthropic excellence in central Ohio focused on strategic investments that positively changes lives and builds a better community,” said Douglas F. Kridler, president and CEO of The Columbus Foundation. “Our founders would be amazed at what has been accomplished thanks to the generosity and passion of Columbus Foundation donors. For 70 years, the Foundation has served as the trusted philanthropic advisor® to individuals, families, and businesses who place value in creating funds, utilizing community knowledge to make decisions, and supporting effective nonprofits that strengthen our region.”
Grants awarded in a single year reached an historic all-time high in 2013 of $160.6 million―66 percent higher than 2012’s $96.2 million. Grants by the Foundation and its donors benefited nearly 3,000 nonprofit organizations, supporting a range of causes, from education and healthcare to conservation. Current grantmaking through Donor Advised Funds accounted for $90.3 million in grants in 2013. Since 1944, the first year of awarding grants to benefit the community, The Columbus Foundation and its donors have awarded a remarkable $1.53 billion to a wide range of initiatives, programs, and nonprofit organizations.
In 2013, more than 14,000 generous gifts and bequests totaled $107.3 million, and created 152 new charitable funds, and added to existing funds and foundations held in The Columbus Foundation and Community Foundations, Inc., and Supporting Foundations. Assets totaled $1.7 billion as of December 31, 2013, and are held in 2,116 unique funds, one statewide affiliate, and 28 Supporting Foundations.
Many donors continue to include the Foundation in their future charitable giving plans. Planned gift expectancies known by the Foundation total more than $878.9 million. In 2013, 39 new planned gifts were created with a projected value of $41.9 million.
GIFTS OF KINDNESS™ FUND ANNOUNCED
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of an anonymous donor, The Columbus Foundation today announced the new Gifts of Kindness™ Fund to help individuals and families living in the central Ohio community who are experiencing an unexpected setback and have an immediate financial need.
The Foundation is working with four nonprofit partner agencies to identify individuals to receive one-time grants. The grants, estimated to be from $500 to $3,000 each, will help with things like rent, utility assistance, transportation, and basic household necessities. The initial partnering nonprofits are the YMCA of Central Ohio, LifeCare Alliance, Homeport, and Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center. Additional nonprofit partners may be added to reach a representative cross-section of people in need throughout central Ohio.
An individual receiving a grant must be a current client of the nonprofit. The fund is designed for emergency cases only, and eligible individuals and families must have exhausted all other sources of public and private funding available to them. Applications will be reviewed by the participating nonprofit and the Foundation.
In addition to the initial investment by the donor, the Foundation is encouraging others to add to the fund, which will extend the reach and the number of central Ohioans receiving grants.Anyone can make a gift to the Gifts of Kindness Fund using a credit card through PowerPhilanthropy,® the Foundation’s online marketplace. Columbus Foundation donors can make a grant from their Donor Advised Funds as well.Learn more.
AWARDS
The Crane Family received the Harrison M. Sayre Award for outstanding philanthropic leadership in central Ohio. The award is given in honor of The Columbus Foundation’s founder and 25-year volunteer director.
The Crane Family’s relationship with The Columbus Foundation began 40 years ago. Currently, there are five planned gifts and 15 active funds from which Crane individuals and families support a wide variety of organizations.
In 2009, Jameson (Jim) Crane and his sister-in-law, Loann Crane, established the Crane Family Foundation, a Supporting Foundation, from which to oversee the family’s collective philanthropy. Through this giving vehicle, the family has provided valuable support to nonprofit organizations including Community Shelter Board, the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, United Way of Central Ohio, and Local Matters, just to name a few.
Nearly every area of life in central Ohio has benefited from the generosity of the Crane Family—from educational opportunities and the arts to basic needs. Grants to the community from Crane funds at the Foundation exceed $20 million. Read more.
The Wexner Center for the Arts (the Wex) received The Columbus Foundation Award for making a significant difference in our community. Founded in 1989 as a “research laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art,” the Wex has presented acclaimed exhibitions, performances, and films, as well as conversations with world-renowned visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, dancers, theater producers, and designers.
The building, made possible thanks to a generous gift from L Brands Founder and Chairman Leslie H. Wexner in memory of his father, features four exhibition galleries, a dedicated 300-seat film/video theater, black box theater, intimate video exhibition space, café, and bookstore, in addition to the 2,400-seat Mershon Auditorium, which it oversees.
In 2012, the Wex broke records with an extraordinary Annie Leibovitz exhibit. Over the past 25 years, the center has attracted about five million visitors to 250 exhibitions, 4,600 film screenings, and nearly 1,000 performances. Read more.
RESULTS OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
CRITICAL NEED ALERT
In partnership with Foundation donors and community members, the Foundation’s month-long Critical Need Alert, Essentials for Yearlong School Success: A Pressing Need of Homeless Children raised a total of $400,821—surpassing its goal of $350,000.
Launched in 2003, the Foundation’s Critical Need Alert (CNA) was created for donors who want to participate in a shared investment opportunity and partner with the Foundation to support our community’s greatest needs and best opportunities to meet those needs.
The CNA, Essentials for Yearlong School Success: A Pressing Need of Homeless Children, launched on August 18 to provide essential supplies and clothing to an estimated 3,500 children who will experience homelessness this year in central Ohio. The money raised will be distributed to four local organizations—YWCA Family Center, Homeless Families Foundation, The Salvation Army, and Volunteers of America, to purchase items children need to be successful in school and to help address the growing issue of family and child homelessness. In 2014, area shelter providers are dealing with record numbers of homeless families, and between mid-2009 and mid-2013, family homelessness increased by 65 percent.
THE BIG GIVE
On September 17-18, 2013, The Big Give, The Columbus Foundation’s second 24-hour online giving event, leveraged more than $10.6 million for 569 central Ohio nonprofit organizations. During the event, more than 18,600 transactions were received from individuals in six countries, 49 states, and 820 cities. Donations received during The Big Give through PowerPhilanthropy,® the Foundation’s online marketplace, were eligible for bonus pool funds on a pro rata basis, giving everyone who participated the opportunity to have their donation(s) amplified. In total, a record $1.1 million in bonus pool funds was raised during an outpouring of generosity from the Foundation, its family of donors, and community partners.
SUMMER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The Foundation’s Summer Fellowship Program completed its fifth year, welcoming 10 undergraduate and graduate students for the 2014 session, which ran June through August. The program creates a mutually beneficial partnership by matching each student’s unique skill-sets and career interests with the services or needs of selected nonprofit organizations. Organizations design a full-time, meaningful work experience for the Summer fellow, and receive a stipend for their operation and oversight of the 10-week program. Through this program, the Foundation engages the next generation of young leaders in the nonprofit sector through career-related work.
About The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation is the trusted philanthropic advisor® to more than 2,000 individuals, families, businesses, and communities that have created unique funds to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. Serving the region for 70 years, The Columbus Foundation is the seventh largest community foundation in the United States. The Foundation’s online giving marketplace, PowerPhilanthropy®, makes it possible for everyone to access valuable information about nonprofit organizations in central Ohio.