COLUMBUS, OH (October 24, 2018)—In just 44 days, generous donors of The Columbus Foundation helped eclipse the $1.5 million goal of the Foundation’s recent Critical Need Alert (CNA) by more than $800,000, making it the largest and most successful CNA in the Foundation’s history.
The Our Kids CNA, a sharply focused, high impact fundraising campaign, was developed to address two pressing problems in our community: 1) more than 20,000 low-income pre-K children who are at risk of losing access to early childhood education when the state’s Step Up To Quality mandate goes into effect in 2020, and 2) 1,300 youth experiencing homelessness in Franklin County.
“The incredible response to this Critical Need Alert illustrates that people do embrace the fact that we, as a community, have a responsibility to take care of ‘our kids.' We celebrate our donors’ extraordinary commitment to the young people of our community through funding this CNA, the most successful in our history.”
Douglas F. Kridler, President and CEO of The Columbus Foundation
Funding for early childhood education initiatives will benefit several organizations, including Action for Children, Columbus State Community College, and FutureReady Columbus by supporting technical assistance and professional development training related to achieving Step Up To Quality ratings, as well as by providing funds to help childcare providers complete their Child Development Associate credentials ahead of the 2020 deadline.
For nonprofits serving homeless youth, including Community Shelter Board, Huckleberry House, and Star House, this support will help connect youth to stabilizing resources, expand outreach efforts, services and educational programs in the shelter system, and help with the implementation of a framework for a community-wide response to prevent and effectively end youth homelessness in central Ohio.
CNAs were created for donors and community members who want to participate in a shared investment opportunity and partner with the Foundation to support our community’s greatest needs. To date, CNAs have leveraged more than $9 million for a wide range of initiatives including childcare, food for families, basic needs, workforce development, and the arts.
ABOUT THE COLUMBUS FOUNDATION
The Columbus Foundation serves more than 2,500 individuals, families, and businesses that have created unique funds and planned gifts to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. Nearly 75 years strong, The Columbus Foundation is Your Trusted Philanthropic Advisor® and the eighth largest community foundation in the United States.