What Columbus foundation does

The Columbus Foundation is a community foundation founded in 1943 in Columbus, Ohio, and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a volunteer Governing Committee. It assists donors in strengthening and improving the central Ohio community by accepting charitable contributions — cash, stock, and other assets — into more than 2,000 named funds and distributing grants to nonprofits. In 2024 the Foundation received nearly $300 million in gifts and awarded $307 million in grants to 5,050 nonprofits, with cumulative grants exceeding $4.2 billion since inception. It ranks as the 6th largest community foundation globally and top 10 in the United States.

The Foundation's core "products" are philanthropic infrastructure rather than technology: Donor Advised Funds for personalized giving, The Giving Store (an online portal listing 1,200+ nonprofits), The Big Give annual giving event, the Center for HumanKindness, the 5 Nonprofits to Watch program, the Summer Fellowship Program, the Universal Scholarship Application (100+ scholarship opportunities), and the developing Center for Change Management for nonprofit capacity building. Distribution channels include direct grantmaking, donor advised funds, the e-commerce Giving Store, the Big Give, and a Professional Advisor referral network. The Foundation is accredited by Charity Navigator (four-star) and certified by the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

Revenue is not generated commercially; the Foundation operates on a donation-philanthropy model in which charitable gifts fund an endowment and donor advised funds, with operating revenue derived primarily from administrative and investment management fees on assets under management. Customer segments are individual donors and families (primary), nonprofit organizations (primary), professional advisors (secondary), and students (secondary). The organization employs 51–100 people at its 1234 East Broad Street headquarters, led by President and CEO Doug Kridler, with Jeff Edwards assuming the Governing Committee Chairperson role in January 2026.

Name

Columbus foundation

Legal name

The Columbus Foundation

Website

https://columbusfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Columbus Foundation is a community foundation founded in 1943 that serves central Ohio donors and 5,050+ nonprofit grantees through donor advised funds, the Giving Store, and grantmaking, ranking as the 6th largest community foundation in the world.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Charitable giving platform
• Nonprofit capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable Giving and Donations: The Columbus Foundation receives gifts from donors who create funds to support charitable causes. Donors contribute cash, stock, or other assets to establish named funds, qualifying for immediate income tax deductions.
2. Grantmaking: The Foundation distributes grants to nonprofits in central Ohio, supporting various causes including education, health, housing, arts, and community development. In 2024, awarded more than $307 million in grants to 5,050 nonprofits.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Columbus Foundation is a community foundation that receives charitable gifts from donors, manages more than 2,000 funds, and redistributes those resources as grants to nonprofits and scholarships to students in central Ohio. It also operates online platforms (The Giving Store, Fund Portal, Universal Scholarship Application) and community programs (The Big Table, Center for HumanKindness, 5 Nonprofits to Watch, Summer Fellowship Program) that connect donors, professional advisors, nonprofits, and students for effective philanthropy.

Product overview

The Columbus Foundation is a community foundation offering a platform of philanthropic services centered around its online Giving Store portal. The core offerings include Donor Advised Funds for personalized giving, The Big Table community conversation initiative, the Center for HumanKindness for kindness programming, the Summer Fellowship Program for emerging nonprofit professionals, the 5 Nonprofits to Watch recognition program, the Spirit of Columbus Award, Emergency Response Fund II for crisis support, the Universal Scholarship Application for student financial aid, and the developing Center for Change Management for nonprofit capacity building. These services work together to assist donors in strengthening and improving the central Ohio community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Big Table: An annual community-wide day of conversation launched in 2016, designed to inspire authentic human connection and civic engagement throughout central Ohio.
• The Spirit of Columbus Award
• 5 Nonprofits to Watch
• Summer Fellowship Program
• Center for HumanKindness

Products and services

• The Giving Store Online giving platform operated by The Columbus Foundation that allows donors to search and contribute to more than 1,200 central Ohio nonprofit organizations, browse funds, and support causes across categories.
• Donor Advised Funds Personalized charitable funds established by donors with The Columbus Foundation to support causes and organizations of their choice using cash, stock, or other assets, providing immediate income tax deductions and flexible grant timing.
• The Big Table Annual community-wide day of conversation launched in 2016 by The Columbus Foundation, designed to inspire authentic human connection and civic engagement throughout central Ohio through hosted table discussions and survey-driven community feedback.
• Center for HumanKindness Dedicated center within The Columbus Foundation focused on inspiring acts of kindness and strengthening social connections across central Ohio through community engagement, grantmaking, and partnerships such as the Gifts of Kindness Fund and collaboration with Compost Clubhouse.
• Summer Fellowship Program Immersive 10-week paid fellowship launched in 2010 by The Columbus Foundation, providing emerging professionals with nonprofit-sector experience while supporting local central Ohio nonprofit organizations.
• 5 Nonprofits to Watch Annual recognition program launched in 2014 by The Columbus Foundation that honors innovative and impactful central Ohio nonprofit organizations with $20,000 unrestricted grants and a year of consulting support through UpRys.
• Spirit of Columbus Award Annual award created in 2013 by The Columbus Foundation in honor of Jerrie Mock (the first woman to fly solo around the world), recognizing central Ohio community members who exhibit bravery, determination, and inspiration through their actions.
• Emergency Response Fund II Fund administered by The Columbus Foundation providing financial support to help central Ohio nonprofits address increasing community pressures including emergency food assistance, shelter, housing stability, and community health.
• Universal Scholarship Application Online application operated by The Columbus Foundation that provides students with access to more than 100 scholarship opportunities administered by the Foundation.
• Center for Change Management Resource being developed by The Columbus Foundation to help central Ohio nonprofits build capacity as they navigate evolving needs, including funding shifts, program realignment, technology and AI adoption, and workforce pressures.

Quantifiable outcome

• $307 million in grants awarded to 5,050 nonprofits in 2024 alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Compost ClubhouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Partnership since June 2022 to offer on-site compost collection for staff and guests at The Columbus Foundation. Has diverted more than 18,500 pounds of waste from landfills.
• Naturewise ColumbusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Green Funds of The Columbus Foundation awarded Naturewise Columbus a $5,000 grant to support production and distribution of Ribbit! magazine, a free children's nature publication.
• BesaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Columbus Foundation has awarded numerous grants to Besa to help expand volunteerism programs, including grants from the Green Funds for environmental stewardship programs. The Center for HumanKindness is a presenting sponsor of Besa's WISH holiday gift drive.
• UpRysminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal strategy consulting and project-based delivery firm engaged to provide year-long consulting to 5 Nonprofits to Watch honorees for capacity building and sustainability.
• Smart ColumbusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership during the pandemic to understand digital equity challenges and why residents were declining free internet offerings.
• City of ColumbuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with the City of Columbus. The Foundation was selected in 1980 to manage the Joseph A. Jeffrey Endowment Fund in partnership with the city.
• Columbus Metropolitan ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Columbus Foundation and the Foundation's Center for HumanKindness are sponsors of Columbus Metropolitan Club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026.
• Supporting FoundationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of supporting foundations including Columbus Youth Foundation, Isabelle Ridgway Foundation, Paul G. Duke Foundation, and others that extend the Foundation's reach and mission.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Pittsburgh Foundation: A Pennsylvania community foundation providing donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and scholarship administration. Closely comparable in scale, governance, and regional mission focus.
• Foundation for the Carolinas: A large regional community foundation serving Charlotte and the Carolinas with donor-advised funds, supporting foundations, and scholarship programs. Comparable operating model and scale tier to The Columbus Foundation.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: One of the largest community foundations globally by assets, heavily weighted toward donor-advised funds from tech wealth. Closest functional peer to The Columbus Foundation by product mix and donor-advised fund emphasis.
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: A regional Ohio community foundation providing donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarships to the Cincinnati metro area. Directly comparable in scope, mission, and product mix to The Columbus Foundation.
• Cleveland Foundation: The first community foundation in the U.S. (founded 1914) and one of the largest by assets. Operates the same donor-advised fund, grantmaking, and scholarship model as The Columbus Foundation in a neighboring Ohio metropolitan market, making it the closest peer for scale and operating approach.
• The Chicago Community Trust: One of the largest and oldest community foundations in the U.S., serving the Chicago region with donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and supporting foundations. Comparable in product set and operating model, though at significantly greater scale.
• New York Community Trust: A major U.S. community foundation serving the New York metropolitan area with a similar mix of donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarship programs. Direct functional peer with substantially greater AUM.
• Greater Houston Community Foundation: A major Texas community foundation administering donor-advised funds and competitive grants for the Houston region. Comparable in product breadth and grantmaking throughput.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor, operated by a national financial services firm. Competes directly with The Columbus Foundation for DAF donors but offers a national, digital-first, fee-disclosed model rather than a regionally focused community platform.
• Schwab Charitable: A national donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab. Provides a comparable DAF and investment management offering to The Columbus Foundation's donor-advised funds, typically at lower cost, and competes for the same donor dollars nationwide.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/colsfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheColumbusFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-columbus-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/colsfoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Columbus foundation