Physical changes abound in Weinland Park, a neighborhood of 4,800 residents just southeast of The Ohio State University. Old, boarded-up houses have given way to new and renovated homes, tulips bloom where empty parking lots once sat, and corner carry-outs that were a hub for crime and drug activities have been shuttered for good. In 2016, a survey funded by The Columbus Foundation, in conjunction with the WPC, was conducted by The Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Intended to act as a tool to evaluate investment efforts, it offers a snapshot of where things stand today, and where future investments could be made.

Jim and Francie Henry both grew up in modest, middle class families where helping others was not the exception, but the norm. With strong, diverse cultures (Jim is Scottish/Irish and Francie is Greek) they gravitate toward supporting nonprofit organizations that appreciate gender, cultural, and ethnic differences.

Columbus Humane is passionate about its mission to “fight animal cruelty, help animals in need, and advocate for their well-being.” In addition to serving as a shelter and providing veterinary care at its state-of-the-art onsite hospital, the organization, founded in 1883, handles thousands of animal cruelty investigations each year. Recent renovations to Columbus Humane’s site in Hilliard puts animals in the spotlight.

On May 17, 2017, approximately 5,000 people gathered around more than 450 tables across the central Ohio region to participate in The Columbus Foundation’s second Big Table. The Big Table launched in 2016 as a way to bring people together to broaden perspectives and strengthen our community.

In 2020, a group of high school friends with a passion to help others connected to create the Cultivating Success Fund, a Donor Advised Fund that gives them the flexibility to support organizations both in central Ohio and in the communities where they live.

From the beginning, White Castle innovator and founder Billy Ingram’s mission was to help team members and provide opportunities for them to better themselves. One way the Ingram-White Castle Foundation honors that legacy today is to help students achieve their educational dreams through scholarships. As White Castle celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021, the Ingram-White Castle Foundation has added two special scholarships to recognize the historic event.

Directions for Youth & Families has been selected as the 2022 honoree of The Columbus Foundation Award In recognition of the important role the organization plays in bringing stability and opportunity to youth, families, and neighborhoods. As part of the award, DFYF will receive a $100,000 unrestricted grant from The Columbus Foundation.

Weinland Park—a neighborhood on the move.

More than 50 years ago, Jerrie Mock flew into history, becoming the first woman to fly around the globe solo. On March 19, 1964, Jerrie, then a Bexley resident and mother of three, climbed into her single-engine Cessna, “Spirit of Columbus,” and took off from Port Columbus International Airport. Mock ended her historic flight back in Columbus, Ohio on April 17, 1964.

A collaborative effort is bringing life to a group of buildings that had long been forgotten, and creating a fresh new gateway to Weinland Park and The Ohio State University along East 11th Avenue.