The L Brands Foundation focuses its philanthropy on strengthening community health, education and social services in the Columbus, OH area, largely by funding local intermediaries and place-based programs. The portfolio is dominated by a very large, multi-million dollar relationship with the Columbus Foundation, complemented by repeat support to United Way of Central Ohio and a mix of smaller grants to youth services, family health initiatives, and local arts institutions. Grants skew local and community-oriented, supporting both direct service providers (youth mentoring, family support) and cultural organizations.
A single $9,976,871 grant to the Columbus Foundation anchors L Brands Foundation’s recent giving and shows how heavily it relies on place-based philanthropy. The foundation’s work centers on Columbus, with grants flowing to intermediaries and to organizations serving health, education, social services, and arts needs in the city and surrounding area. Alongside the major Columbus Foundation award, it made repeat support to United Way of Central Ohio and smaller grants to groups such as Celebrateone, Directions for Youth & Families, and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. That pattern suggests a funder that combines large institutional support with targeted operating grants to local nonprofits. The recent grant list includes community health, maternal and infant health, youth development, family support, and cultural institutions. Grant sizes range from $7,500 to multi-million-dollar awards, but most of the named recipients receive modest to mid-sized checks. The foundation’s giving is local in scope, with a strong emphasis on organizations tied to Columbus and Central Ohio.
In health and maternal/infant health, L Brands Foundation gave $25,000 to Celebrateone for health. In education and youth-serving work, it awarded $7,500 to Marburn Academy for education and $7,500 to Junior Achievement of Central Ohio for education. Those grants fit a broader pattern of support for organizations serving students and families. Social services are another clear lane. The foundation gave $10,000 to She Has a Name for social services, $10,000 to Directions for Youth & Families for social services, $7,500 to Center for Healthy Families Inc for social services, and $7,500 to Alvis Inc for social services. It also supported Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los at $25,000 for social services. On the cultural side, it funded Wexner Center Foundation at $30,000 for arts and humanities, National Veterans Memorial and Museum at $25,000 for arts and humanities, and Catco-phoenix Inc at $7,500 for arts and humanities.
Typical grants cluster around a $7,500 p25, $15,000 median, and $26,250 p75, with a much larger outlier at $9,976,871. The recent record shows repeated support to the Columbus Foundation and United Way of Central Ohio, alongside one-off gifts to smaller operating nonprofits. That mix points to both intermediary grantmaking and direct program support. The foundation is not a funder of individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its giving appears to be discretionary rather than application-driven, since the provided data does not include an application process.
$10M
$0
$0
$0
Most grants fall between $8K and $26K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$26K
SCOTT G HEITKAMP
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Highly concentrated giving: a single very large grant relationship with the Columbus Foundation accounts for the vast majority of dollars, alongside a few repeat mid-sized gifts (United Way) and multiple smaller, one-time grants to local nonprofits. Emphasis is on local, intermediary-focused funding with selective direct grants to youth, family health, and arts organizations.
Notable grantees: Columbus Foundation, United Way of Central Ohio, Inc., CelebrateOne, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbus, Wexner Center Foundation
L Brands Foundation’s grantmaking is highly concentrated in Ohio, with 84% of grants going to recipients in its HQ state. Columbus appears repeatedly in the recipient list, including awards to the Columbus Foundation, Wexner Center Foundation, Celebrateone, and Directions for Youth & Families. Outside Ohio, the recent grants include Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Alexandria, and the country distribution shows all grants stayed within the United States.
The recent grants point to support for community health, education, social services, urban affairs, and arts and humanities. Named recipients include Celebrateone, United Way of Central Ohio Inc, Wexner Center Foundation, Directions for Youth & Families, and National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
The typical grant size is $7,500 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $26,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes a much larger $9,976,871 grant to the Columbus Foundation.
Yes. 84% of grants went to recipients in Ohio, and the recent list is heavily centered on Columbus organizations. The foundation’s geographic scope is local, even though the top state by grant count is California.
Yes. The recent data shows repeat support to the Columbus Foundation and United Way of Central Ohio Inc, with the Columbus Foundation appearing in both 2024 and 2023 entries and United Way of Central Ohio Inc appearing twice in 2023.
No. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLUMBUS FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $9,976,871 | 2024 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OHIO INC | CLEVELAND, OH | $250,000 | 2023 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OHIO INC | CLEVELAND, OH | $150,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| WEXNER CENTER FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2023 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| COLUMBUS FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $27,500 | 2023 | HEALTH AND EDUCATION |
| CELEBRATEONE | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF GREATER LOS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| NATIONAL VETERANS MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| COMMUNITY ARTS PROJECT INC DBA KING | COLUMBUS, OH | $15,000 | 2023 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $15,000 | 2023 | URBAN AFFAIRS |
| HARMONY PROJECT PRODUCTIONS INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $12,500 | 2023 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| DIRECTIONS FOR YOUTH & FAMILIES | COLUMBUS, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| SHE HAS A NAME | COLUMBUS, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MARBURN ACADEMY | NEW ALBANY, OH | $7,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| CENTER FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $7,500 | 2023 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $7,500 | 2023 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ALVIS INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $7,500 | 2023 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| CATCO-PHOENIX INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $7,500 | 2023 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF CENTRAL OHIO | COLUMBUS, OH | $7,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
CELEBRATEONE
$25,000HEALTH
SHE HAS A NAME
$10,000SOCIAL SERVICES
CATCO-PHOENIX INC
$7,500ARTS AND HUMANITIES