For 70 years, the Columbus Youth Foundation has empowered thousands of local youth through grants supporting recreation, education, and leadership. As the first Supporting Foundation at The Columbus Foundation, it has awarded over $5.5 million to more than 100 nonprofits, creating lasting community impact.
Bill Willis—one of Columbus’ True Originals—helped break football’s color barrier, overcoming adversity to become a legendary athlete and community leader whose enduring legacy inspires generations in Columbus and beyond.
In October 2024, the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland opened the AEP Foundation STEM Leadership Center and CK Construction Maker Space—a 25,000-square-foot facility that is the largest Girl Scout STEM Center in the United States.
As the creator of one of the first online giving days in 2008, The Columbus Foundation has seen impressive growth in online giving as well as the rise of community (and even global!) giving days in the past 10 years.
Dr. Mark Lomax II, discusses how his work as an artist intersects with his work as a community research and grants management officer at The Columbus Foundation.
The Big Table is a day-long event where community-led conversations take place across central Ohio. This year, The Big Table happens on Wednesday, August 28.
Donor Advised Funds are enormously popular charitable giving vehicles—known for their ease and flexibility. Through a Donor Advised Fund, individuals can make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants from the fund over time. Many donors have established Donor Advised Funds at The Columbus Foundation to streamline their giving and maximize their impact.
Director of Capacity Building & Community Knowledge Danielle Tong shares how support for the comprehensive well-being of nonprofits through capacity building helps them go further faster—and why investing in things you can't always see is critical to ensuring the ongoing health of our community's social sector.