In 2020, she established the Gay Su Pinnell Designated Fund Gay Su Pinnell's love of reading blossomed into a rewarding career as a Professor Emerita at OSU, a member of the International Reading Association’s Reading Hall of Fame, and a prolific researcher. In 2019, Pinnell established the Gay Su Pinnell Education Trust Fund to oversee her charitable giving, including extraordinary gifts to both OSU and Lesley University to support the schools’ ongoing work to develop and promote literacy efforts and programs. Pinnell is also committed to creating opportunities to experience the joy of music, especially the symphony. In 2020, she established the Gay Su Pinnell Designated Fund to provide focused, multi-year support for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and others.

Within 15 minutes of The Big Give kickoff on September 17, 2013, 300 central Ohio nonprofits had already received donations. The 24-hour online giving effort reached $1 million and 1,000 donations in less than 40 minutes!

A bold, visionary plan to strengthen the Weinland Park neighborhood—led by the Weinland Park Collaborative, a public-private partnership formed in 2010—was the groundwork for an opportunity to apply for a national funding opportunity from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

During the late 1870s, Columbus banker and entrepreneur Joseph A. Jeffrey turned an inventor’s idea for undercutting coal into a booming manufacturer of mining machinery. More than a century later, thanks to Jeffrey’s foresight and philanthropy, the community continues to benefit from the Joseph A. Jeffrey Endowment Fund used to beautify or improve the city, supporting nonprofit organizations in Columbus and Franklin County.

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. In recognition of the organization’s contributions to strengthening and improving the community, The Columbus Foundation also named Catholic Social Services one of the 5 Nonprofits to Watch in 2017.

This year, the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation entered a collaborative partnership with Dr. Cheavens’ Mood and Personality Studies Lab at The Ohio State University to continue growing the body of research on kindness and its effects on individual and collective well-being.

Honoring the legacy of Senator Ben Espy, a devoted public servant and family man whose life of service continues through a charitable fund supporting youth and opportunity in central Ohio.

In recognition of the important role the organization plays in anchoring central Ohio’s arts sector and its innovative work to inspire the community through music, ProMusica has been selected as the 2025 honoree of The Columbus Foundation Award. Established in 1979, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra is known for its exceptional artistry, audience intimacy, and community engagement.

On the blog, Director of Kindness Kate Oliphint discusses how kindness prevails, where it can lead, and how to join the Center for HumanKindness in the journey to creating a kinder, more equitable community for all.