WrightsEl Private Family Foundation concentrates its giving locally in Columbus, OH, prioritizing direct support for early childhood services and civic cultural institutions. The foundation makes relatively few, sizable grants and demonstrates a willingness to provide repeat support to neighborhood-level child care providers and to underwrite capital/campaign needs for performing arts facilities. Its philanthropy appears targeted and place-based rather than broadly distributed across many causes.
Small number of large, local grants concentrated on a few organizations; includes repeat funding to the same child-care provider and one-off campaign support for a performing arts venue.
A $60,000 gift to North Broadway Children's Center anchors Wrightsel Private Family Foundation’s recent giving and points to a clear local pattern: the foundation backs neighborhood early childhood services with large, direct grants. That support appears alongside repeated funding for Columbus cultural infrastructure, including capital campaign help for the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts and smaller community gifts to organizations serving families in the city. The foundation’s grantmaking is place-based and concentrated in Columbus, with every recent grant landing in Ohio. Rather than spreading across many states or issue areas, it has built a record around a few recurring uses: child care support, performing arts venue fundraising, and seasonal community assistance. The recent grants also show a mix of high-dollar commitments and modest transactional gifts, suggesting a funder that alternates between major project support and practical, immediate help for local nonprofits. In that pattern, the foundation gives most often to organizations serving Columbus residents and nearby communities, especially children, families, and arts audiences.
Neighborhood early childhood education is a defining focus. Wrightsel Private Family Foundation gave North Broadway Children's Center $60,000 in 2023 and another $30,000 in 2024, both listed as support, showing repeated backing for a Columbus child care provider. The foundation also supports performing arts infrastructure: Columbus Association for the Performing Arts received $50,000 in 2025 and $25,000 in 2025 for the THA CAPA Music Hall campaign, linking the funder to a capital campaign for a historic venue. Community and holiday support is another thread. Lutheran Social Services received $4,327 in 2025 for 85 Butterball gifts, $3,431 in 2025 for 84 Butterball gifts, $477 in 2025 for toys for a holiday program, and $515 in 2025 for skin care products. Upper Arlington Community Foundation also received $10,000 in 2025 for the Heart of UA event.
Typical grant size is modest but uneven: the 25th percentile is $2,692, the median is $4,519, and the 75th percentile is $35,000. That spread reflects a structure that mixes smaller in-kind or event-related gifts with much larger project grants. The same recipients appear across multiple years, especially North Broadway Children's Center and Lutheran Social Services, which indicates repeat support rather than isolated one-time awards. The foundation’s giving is local and limited to Ohio, with all recent grants going to recipients in the state. The record also shows transactional support through donations of goods and event-related funding, alongside larger campaign gifts.
$40K
$813K
$266K
$44K
Most grants fall between $3K and $35K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$35K
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Notable grantees: North Broadway Children's Center, Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA)
Wrightsel Private Family Foundation’s grants land entirely in Ohio, and the giving is concentrated in Columbus. Columbus recipients account for the clear majority of recent awards, including North Broadway Children's Center, Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, Lutheran Social Services, and Columbus Park of Roses Foundation. Upper Arlington appears as another Ohio recipient city through the Upper Arlington Community Foundation. The geographic pattern is local rather than regional or multi-state, with 100% of recent grants going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state.
Its recent grants favor local organizations serving children, families, and arts audiences. Examples in the record include a Columbus child care center, a performing arts association tied to a music hall campaign, and a social services organization receiving holiday goods and other support.
The grant-size distribution is $2,692 at the 25th percentile, $4,519 at the median, and $35,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes much larger awards, such as a $60,000 gift and a $50,000 campaign grant.
Yes. North Broadway Children's Center received grants in 2023 and 2024, and Lutheran Social Services appears in multiple years as well. That pattern suggests repeat support rather than strictly one-time funding.
Its giving is local and entirely in Ohio. Recent grants went to recipients in Columbus and Upper Arlington, and 100% of the grants in the recent sample were awarded to Ohio organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLUMBUS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | THA CAPA MUSIC HALL CAMPAIGN |
| UPPER ARLINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | UPPER ARLINGTON, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | HEART OF UA EVENT |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $4,327 | 2026 | DONATION OF 85 BUTTERBALL GIFTS |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $515 | 2026 | SKIN CARE PRODUCTS |
| COLUMBUS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | COLUMBUS, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | THA CAPA MUSIC HALL CAMPAIGN |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $3,431 | 2025 | DONATION OF 84 BUTTERBALL GIFTS |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $477 | 2025 | TOYS FOR HOLIDAY PROGRAM |
| NORTH BROADWAY CHILDREN'S CENTER | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2024 | DONATION TO SUPPORT |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $4,141 | 2024 | DONATION TO SUPPORT |
| NORTH BROADWAY CHILDREN'S CENTER | COLUMBUS, OH | $60,000 | 2023 | DONATION TO SUPPORT |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $4,897 | 2023 | DONATION TO SUPPORT |
| COLUMBUS PARK OF ROSES FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $75 | 2023 | DONATION TO SUPPORT |
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES
$4,327DONATION OF 85 BUTTERBALL GIFTS
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES
$515SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES
DONATION OF 84 BUTTERBALL GIFTS
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES
$477TOYS FOR HOLIDAY PROGRAM
NORTH BROADWAY CHILDREN'S CENTER
$30,000DONATION TO SUPPORT
NORTH BROADWAY CHILDREN'S CENTER
$60,000DONATION TO SUPPORT
COLUMBUS PARK OF ROSES FOUNDATION
$75DONATION TO SUPPORT