With deep roots in the community, the Junior League of Columbus has worked alongside The Columbus Foundation for many years. The organization was among the first nonprofits to create an Organization Endowment Fund at The Columbus Foundation, establishing the Junior League Fund in 1957.

Inspired by Roberta Jones-Booth's love and unwavering support of her community, family and friends, her family established the Roberta Jones Booth Scholarship Fund in 2004. The scholarship supports students who are graduating seniors from Marion Franklin High School or who reside within the Marion Franklin Civic Association boundaries.

In 1993, J.W. established the John W. Wolfe Permanent Administrative Fund at The Columbus Foundation to provide ongoing support for the operation of the Foundation. Over the past three decades, the fund has helped The Columbus Foundation remain a welcoming place for donors, nonprofit leaders, and community members, including supporting the development and maintenance of the Foundation’s beautiful grounds.

In 2005, Barbara Brandt established the Brandt Family Next Generation Fund, initially allocating $250 a year to each grandchild to grant to a nonprofit of their choice. However, before they could donate to their selected nonprofits, Barbara stipulated that the grandchildren first conduct research on the organizations.

The Columbus Foundation, its Supporting Foundations, and its donors have long supported Catholic Social Services through a variety of grants—including targeted investments to support the operation and renovation of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Center, increase recruitment for the Foster Grandparent Program, and help launch the pilot of Stay the Course®, among numerous other investments.

Thanks to unwavering support from the community, the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) is building a new crisis care center to provide hope for adults experiencing a mental health and/or addiction crisis. When it opens in spring 2025, it will provide a person-centered approach to crisis care and offer a comprehensive range of services designed to meet an individual’s unique needs.

Although the Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition was born out of the COVID-19 emergency, digital equity remains a priority at The Columbus Foundation.

The Columbus Foundation has invested in the neighborhood through numerous grants that support the arts, youth services, workforce development, housing, social connection, and more. This whole-neighborhood approach is designed to expand opportunity and improve the quality of life among individuals and families living on the Near East Side.

World-renowned researchers—Lonnie Thompson, PhD, and Ellen Mosley-Thompson, PhD—are on a mission to preserve glacial ice cores for future generations of scientists.

Adaptive Sports Connection strives to make sports and outdoor recreation accessible to all.