To assist donors and others in strengthening and improving our community for the benefit of all its residents.
A defining feature of Columbus Foundation’s recent giving is its large flow of donor-advised and donor-established support to advancing philanthropy organizations, including a $55,209,000 grant to Greater Horizons in Kansas City and more than $21 million to The Huntington Foundation in Columbus. That pattern sits alongside sizable education and health awards, showing a foundation that moves between intermediary philanthropy, local institutions, and community services. The foundation operates as a public charity and a mixed community foundation, with a broad regional scope and a grant portfolio that includes operating support, capital funding, scholarships, and donor-defined field-of-interest funds. Its recent grants also show sustained support for Columbus-based institutions. Kipp Columbus Foundation received $22,000,000 in 2023 and $10,500,000 in 2024, while Columbus Museum of Art and Columbus Symphony Orchestra Inc each appear multiple times in the recent-grants list. The foundation also funds neighborhood work, conservation, and health-related organizations, reflecting a grantmaker that supports both place-based services and larger philanthropic infrastructure. Through supporting foundations and specialized programs, it channels money into education, critical human needs, youth services, and other donor-defined priorities.
Education is one of the clearest threads in Columbus Foundation’s recent grantmaking. Kipp Columbus Foundation received $22,000,000 in 2023 and $10,500,000 in 2024, and The Ohio State University Foundation received $14,104,872 in 2023 for education and $10,374,945 in 2024 for education, conservation, health, and urban affairs. The foundation also supported I Know I Can with $4,741,988 in 2025 and Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation with $4,144,339 in 2024. Arts and culture also receive repeated support. Columbus Museum of Art was awarded $7,324,252 in 2024 and $4,234,728 in 2025, while Columbus Symphony Orchestra Inc received $5,096,799 in 2023, $5,008,306 in 2024, and $4,008,815 in 2025. In health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation received $9,737,094 in 2025 and $4,313,909 in 2024, and Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Board Of received $7,134,725 in 2024.
Typical grant size sits at a p25 of $10,000, a median of $22,000, and a p75 of $63,500, which points to a portfolio with many modest awards and some very large transfers. The recent list shows both one-time and repeated grants: several organizations appear across multiple years, including Kipp Columbus Foundation, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Symphony Orchestra Inc, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation. Columbus Foundation is a public charity and a mixed community foundation, and it also makes program-related investments. Active programs show a mix of unsolicited opportunities and donor-defined grants, including field-of-interest funds, capital improvements, and scholarships.
$842.2M
$2.8B
$411.6M
$272.7M
Most grants fall between $10K and $64K, with a median of $22K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$22K
75th Percentile
$64K
About 55% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Most grants land in the United States, and 55% of grants go to recipients in Ohio. Columbus appears repeatedly, including the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Symphony Orchestra Inc, Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation & Capitol South. Outside Ohio, recent recipients include Greater Horizons in Kansas City, Missouri; Santa Barbara Foundation in Santa Barbara, California; Food & Water Watch in Washington, DC; and Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The foundation’s broader recipient footprint is still overwhelmingly domestic, with 5,349 US grants in the data.
Its stated focus areas include arts and culture, education, health, housing, food and nutrition, social services, environment, employment and economic development, scholarships, and community research. Active programs also add field-of-interest funds, capital improvements, neighborhood grants, and supporting foundation grants tied to education and critical human needs.
The typical grant-size distribution is p25 $10,000, median $22,000, and p75 $63,500. That mix suggests many smaller awards, with a substantial number of mid-sized grants and some larger commitments.
Yes. The recent-grants list shows repeated support for several recipients across multiple years, including Kipp Columbus Foundation, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Symphony Orchestra Inc, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships in some program areas.
Yes, several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including Focused Funds, Capital Improvements Grants, Core Support Grants, Neighborhood Grants, and the supporting foundation grant programs. The Summer Fellowship Program is different: nonprofits host fellows, but it does not accept unsolicited applications.
Ohio receives 55% of the grants in the data, and many recent awards go to Columbus-based organizations. The recipient country distribution is entirely US-based, with 5,349 grants in the United States.
DOUGLAS F KRIDLER
PRESIDENT & CEO
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Financiamiento actual y próximo de Columbus Foundation al que tu organización sin fines de lucro podría postularse.
¿Quién puede postularse? 501(c)(3) nonprofits working in Columbus/Franklin County neighborhoods with comprehensive revitalization projects; government and universities are ineligible.
Fecha límite: Ongoing (rolling applications accepted).
¿Quién puede postularse? Nonprofits whose primary impact is in Columbus or Franklin County and that work on digital literacy, device access, or affordability.
Fecha límite: Ongoing (applications accepted any time / rolling).
¿Quién puede postularse? Nonprofits operating or preparing to launch a social enterprise that will substantially benefit Franklin County.
Fecha límite: Ongoing (rolling).
¿Quién puede postularse? Projects based in Franklin County that explicitly serve three or more nonprofits; applicants must identify partner organizations.
Fecha límite: Ongoing (applications accepted any time / rolling).
¿Quién puede postularse? Nonprofits serving or engaged with opportunity youth (ages 18–24) in defined focus areas within Columbus/Franklin County.
Fecha límite: Ongoing (rolling).
¿Quién puede postularse? Nonprofit host sites must be Franklin County nonprofit organizations. The fellowship is designed for eligible college juniors/seniors, recent graduates, or graduate students, but the nonprofit application is for host organizations.
Fecha límite: Nonprofit application deadline listed for September 18, 2026; student application deadline listed for December 18, 2026 for the 2026 cycle.
¿Quién puede postularse? Community organizations and nonprofits involved in community garden work.
Fecha límite: Early 2027.
¿Quién puede postularse? Host sites must be nonprofit organizations in Franklin County seeking a fellow to support a specific program or objective.
Fecha límite: Student applications for 2027 open in mid-November; 2026 student application is closed.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE HUNTINGTON FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $21,846,166 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $11,667,513 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $9,737,094 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| COLUMBUS DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION & CAPITOL SOUTH | COLUMBUS, OH | $8,420,523 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| I KNOW I CAN | COLUMBUS, OH | $4,741,988 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| LESLEY UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $4,305,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| KIPP COLUMBUS FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $4,300,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART | COLUMBUS, OH | $4,234,728 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| COLUMBUS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $4,008,815 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO | DUBLIN, OH | $3,811,425 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OHIO INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $3,084,390 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ALCOHOL DRUG AND MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OF FRANKLIN COUNTY | COLUMBUS, OH | $3,000,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| THE PAST FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $2,872,100 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| COLUMBUS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $2,866,284 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MID-OHIO FOODBANK DBA MID-OHIO FOOD COLLECTIVE | GROVE CITY, OH | $2,652,781 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MYRIAD USA | NEW YORK, NY | $2,394,912 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| THE HUNTINGTON-AKRON FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $2,000,000 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| VISTA VILLAGE INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,826,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| RON CLARK ACADEMY INC | ATLANTA, GA | $1,793,284 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SALVATION ARMY (CENTRAL OHIO) | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,663,065 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| THE METRO SCHOOLS | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,537,842 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BATTELLE EDUCATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,466,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| FUND OF THE COLUMBUS FOUNDATION | — | $1,451,008 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE | DUBUQUE, IA | $1,382,543 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MARIETTA COLLEGE | MARIETTA, OH | $1,263,519 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| JEWISH COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,250,875 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| CENTER OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY (COSI) | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,199,122 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| COLUMBUS NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER INC DBA PRIMARYONE HEALTH | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,162,691 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| NEW ALBANY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | NEW ALBANY, OH | $1,077,175 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,073,743 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| COLUMBUS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (CAPA) | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,049,212 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| OHIOHEALTH FOUNDATION INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,024,003 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| HARMONY PROJECT PRODUCTIONS INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,021,216 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| COLUMBUS SCHOOL FOR GIRLS | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,018,205 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| THE MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| DIVISION OF NATURAL AREAS AND PRESERVES OF THE OHIO DEPT OF NATURAL RESOUR | COLUMBUS, OH | $990,134 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| BEXLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | BEXLEY, OH | $953,887 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| ARC OF APPALACHIA PRESERVE SYSTEM | BAINBRIDGE, OH | $942,684 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| SCHWAB CHARITABLE FUND DBA SCHWAB CHARITABLE | ORLANDO, FL | $924,656 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| COMMUNITY SHELTER BOARD | COLUMBUS, OH | $919,322 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| FOUNDATION OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF COLUMBUS DBA THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $909,000 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $900,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| THE JED FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $883,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SOLES4SOULS | OLD HICKORY, TN | $876,703 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| COLUMBUS COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN | COLUMBUS, OH | $876,452 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BROAD STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | COLUMBUS, OH | $868,021 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| SID PUBLIC SERVICES ASSOCIATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $810,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| COLUMBUS ACADEMY | GAHANNA, OH | $791,598 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| LIFECARE ALLIANCE | COLUMBUS, OH | $787,607 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| MARYHAVEN INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $779,888 | 2025 | HEALTH |
THE HUNTINGTON FOUNDATION
$21,846,166ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$11,667,513EDUCATION
NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$9,737,094HEALTH
COLUMBUS DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION & CAPITOL SOUTH
$8,420,523NEIGHBORHOOD
I KNOW I CAN
$4,741,988EDUCATION
LESLEY UNIVERSITY
$4,305,000EDUCATION
KIPP COLUMBUS FOUNDATION
$4,300,000EDUCATION
COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART
$4,234,728ARTS AND HUMANITIES
COLUMBUS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC
$4,008,815ARTS AND HUMANITIES
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO
$3,811,425CONSERVATION
UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OHIO INC
$3,084,390SOCIAL SERVICES
ALCOHOL DRUG AND MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
$3,000,000HEALTH
THE PAST FOUNDATION
$2,872,100EDUCATION
COLUMBUS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC
$2,866,284EDUCATION
MID-OHIO FOODBANK DBA MID-OHIO FOOD COLLECTIVE
$2,652,781SOCIAL SERVICES
MYRIAD USA
$2,394,912ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
THE HUNTINGTON-AKRON FOUNDATION
$2,000,000ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
VISTA VILLAGE INC
$1,826,000SOCIAL SERVICES
RON CLARK ACADEMY INC
$1,793,284EDUCATION
SALVATION ARMY (CENTRAL OHIO)
$1,663,065SOCIAL SERVICES
THE METRO SCHOOLS
$1,537,842EDUCATION
BATTELLE EDUCATION
$1,466,000EDUCATION
FUND OF THE COLUMBUS FOUNDATION
$1,451,008ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE
$1,382,543EDUCATION
MARIETTA COLLEGE
$1,263,519EDUCATION
JEWISH COLUMBUS
$1,250,875SOCIAL SERVICES
CENTER OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY (COSI)
$1,199,122ARTS AND HUMANITIES
COLUMBUS NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER INC DBA PRIMARYONE HEALTH
$1,162,691HEALTH
NEW ALBANY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$1,077,175ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS
$1,073,743ARTS AND HUMANITIES
COLUMBUS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (CAPA)
$1,049,212ARTS AND HUMANITIES
OHIOHEALTH FOUNDATION INC
$1,024,003HEALTH
HARMONY PROJECT PRODUCTIONS INC
$1,021,216ARTS AND HUMANITIES
COLUMBUS SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
$1,018,205EDUCATION
THE MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
$1,000,000ARTS AND HUMANITIES
DIVISION OF NATURAL AREAS AND PRESERVES OF THE OHIO DEPT OF NATURAL RESOUR
$990,134CONSERVATION
BEXLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$953,887ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
ARC OF APPALACHIA PRESERVE SYSTEM
$942,684CONSERVATION
SCHWAB CHARITABLE FUND DBA SCHWAB CHARITABLE
$924,656ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
COMMUNITY SHELTER BOARD
$919,322SOCIAL SERVICES
FOUNDATION OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF COLUMBUS DBA THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
$909,000RELIGION
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT INC
$900,000NEIGHBORHOOD
THE JED FOUNDATION
$883,000EDUCATION
SOLES4SOULS
$876,703SOCIAL SERVICES
COLUMBUS COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
$876,452EDUCATION
BROAD STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$868,021RELIGION
SID PUBLIC SERVICES ASSOCIATION
$810,000NEIGHBORHOOD
COLUMBUS ACADEMY
$791,598EDUCATION
LIFECARE ALLIANCE
$787,607HEALTH
MARYHAVEN INC
$779,888HEALTH