Community Shares of Mid Ohio

What Community Shares of Mid Ohio does

Community Shares of Mid Ohio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit federation founded in 1992 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that operates workplace giving campaigns connecting Central Ohio employees to local nonprofit organizations through payroll deduction. The federation aggregates 69 member nonprofits across cause areas including social justice, health and wellness, housing, hunger and food security, animal welfare, and access to justice, and processes donations — most recently totaling $473,052 — which it distributes quarterly to those member organizations. Its donor pipeline runs through partnerships with six anchor employers (State of Ohio, Franklin County, City of Columbus, The Ohio State University, Southwestern City Schools, and Upper Arlington City Schools) and a self-serve online donation portal that supports one-time and monthly giving.

The organization's business model rests on three streams: pass-through workplace giving donations, modest membership fees from member nonprofits ($175/year for Associate Members, $275/year for Full Members), and ancillary services such as professional development sessions, free Ask an Expert drop-in consulting in partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Compliance Reporting Services delivered through partner In(form)ed, and co-hosted Nonprofit Sector Snapshot events with the Human Services Chamber of Franklin County. Revenue mechanics are intentionally light — Community Shares is structured as a federation, not a fee-heavy intermediary — and it operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees.

Operationally, Community Shares positions itself as a regional infrastructure layer for the Central Ohio nonprofit ecosystem rather than a direct service provider. Its value proposition to nonprofits is donor access plus capacity-building (training, networking, marketing exposure, and now compliance support); its value proposition to employers is a turnkey employee philanthropy program; and its value proposition to donors is convenience and curated local impact. Distribution is hybrid: field-based enterprise sales to large employers for workplace giving, complemented by self-serve online channels for individual donors and a membership acquisition motion targeting prospective nonprofit members. The technology footprint is minimal — Firespring-hosted website, member directory, and donation portal — with no disclosed proprietary platform, AI capabilities, or data assets.

Name

Community Shares of Mid Ohio

Legal name

Community Shares of Mid Ohio

Website

https://communityshares.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Shares of Mid Ohio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit federation in Columbus, Ohio that runs workplace giving campaigns connecting 2,225 donors at anchor Central Ohio employers to 69 member nonprofits, supplemented by professional development and compliance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workplace Giving & Nonprofit Federation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

Keywords

• Workplace giving campaigns
• Nonprofit federation services
• Payroll deduction philanthropy
• Nonprofit membership programs
• Community fundraising platform

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Workplace Giving Donations: Community Shares processes payroll deduction donations from employees at participating workplaces. Donors make annual pledges deducted from paychecks and Community Shares distributes funds to selected member nonprofits quarterly. This provides stable, recurring revenue for member organizations.
2. Membership Fees: Nonprofit organizations pay annual membership fees to join Community Shares. Associate Membership costs $175/year and Full Membership costs $275/year, providing access to professional development, networking, marketing exposure, and fundraising programs.
3. Direct Donations: Individual donors can make one-time or monthly donations through the website to support member nonprofits directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Shares of Mid Ohio operates a federated workplace giving platform that processes payroll-deduction donations from employees at participating Central Ohio employers and distributes the funds quarterly to a network of 69 member nonprofits. It also runs a two-tier nonprofit membership program (Associate at $175/year and Full at $275/year) that provides member organizations with access to professional development, networking, marketing exposure, compliance reporting services, and fundraising programs.

Product overview

Community Shares of Mid Ohio operates as a federated workplace giving organization serving Central Ohio nonprofits. The core offering is a workplace giving platform that enables payroll-deduction donations to member nonprofits, supplemented by a nonprofit membership program with Associate and Full tiers that provide access to professional development sessions, marketing exposure, and networking opportunities. Additional services include compliance reporting assistance through In(form)ed, free Ask an Expert consulting sessions, and collaborative events like the Nonprofit Sector Snapshot. The organization maintains a searchable member directory of 69 nonprofits across various cause areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workplace Giving Campaigns Payroll-deduction workplace giving programs that allow employees at participating employers to donate to member nonprofits through one-time or recurring paycheck contributions, with funds processed by Community Shares and distributed quarterly to selected charities.
• Nonprofit Membership Program Annual membership program for Central Ohio nonprofits with two tiers: Associate Membership ($175/year) for emerging organizations and Full Membership ($275/year) for established nonprofits, providing access to fundraising programs, professional development, networking, marketing exposure, and a member newsletter.
• Professional Development Sessions Free or low-cost training sessions for nonprofit staff, volunteers, and board members covering topics such as marketing, communications, fundraising, financial management, compliance, and governance.
• Compliance Reporting Services Services provided through In(form)ed to help nonprofits remain in good standing, including Secretary of State filings, Attorney General annual registration, City of Columbus solicitation permits, and GuideStar registration.
• Ask an Expert Drop-In Sessions Free weekly drop-in consulting sessions in partnership with Columbus Metropolitan Library's Business and Nonprofit Resource Center, offering guidance on fundraising, operations, strategy, and community resources to 60+ nonprofit organizations.
• Nonprofit Sector Snapshot Collaborative event series with the Human Services Chamber of Franklin County and Columbus Metropolitan Library providing actionable insights on policy changes, fundraising trends, and resources for local nonprofits.
• Member Nonprofit Directory Online searchable directory of 69 member nonprofits organized by cause area (Access to Justice, Animal Welfare, Health & Wellness, Housing, Hunger & Food Security, Social Justice, etc.) and populations served.

Quantifiable outcome

• Member nonprofits receive approximately three weeks of budget from Community Shares donations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of ColumbuscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCity of Columbus is a participating workplace, allowing city employees to donate to Community Shares member nonprofits through payroll deduction campaigns.
• Franklin CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFranklin County participates as a workplace giving partner, enabling county employees to support local nonprofits through the Community Shares platform.
• State of OhiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerState of Ohio participates as a workplace giving partner, one of the largest public sector employers offering Community Shares workplace giving to state employees.
• The Ohio State UniversitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Ohio State University is a participating workplace, enabling university employees to contribute to Central Ohio nonprofits through payroll giving.
• Southwestern City SchoolscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSouthwestern City Schools participates as a workplace giving partner for school district employees.
• Upper Arlington City SchoolscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUpper Arlington City Schools participates as a workplace giving partner for district employees.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library - Business and Nonprofit Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership providing free Ask an Expert drop-in sessions for nonprofits and co-hosting the Nonprofit Sector Snapshot event series with the Human Services Chamber of Franklin County.
• Human Services Chamber of Franklin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Nonprofit Sector Snapshot initiative, serving 220+ health and human services nonprofits in the Columbus Region.
• CandidminorOthersNonprofit transparency and information resource partner providing data and research tools.
• BBB (Better Business Bureau)minorOthersBBB accreditation provides donor trust and confidence in Community Shares' nonprofit operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• America's Charities: National federated giving organization that runs workplace giving campaigns connecting employees to member charities. Operates the same intermediary model — pooling payroll deduction donations and distributing to nonprofits — that Community Shares uses regionally.
• Community Health Charities: Federated giving federation focused on health-related member charities, operating workplace giving campaigns. Highly comparable federated giving model serving employees at participating employers — directly analogous structure to Community Shares.
• EarthShare: Federated giving organization focused on environmental causes, running workplace giving campaigns that channel employee donations to member environmental nonprofits. Same federated giving mechanics as Community Shares, though narrower cause focus.
• United Way of Central Ohio: The dominant United Way affiliate serving the Columbus/Central Ohio region. Directly competes for workplace giving partnerships with the same anchor employers (State of Ohio, Franklin County, City of Columbus, OSU) and the same donor pool that Community Shares serves.

Emerging players

• HandsOn Central Ohio: Central Ohio nonprofit focused on volunteer engagement and capacity building for local nonprofits. Overlaps with Community Shares' nonprofit support services (professional development, sector convenings) but uses volunteer mobilization rather than workplace giving as its core mechanism.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: The largest and most recognized federated giving organization globally, operating the same workplace giving model that Community Shares of Mid Ohio runs at a regional level. Comparable in mission (pooling payroll donations and distributing to member nonprofits) but vastly larger in scale and geographic reach.

Regional players

• United Way of Greater Cincinnati: United Way affiliate serving the Greater Cincinnati region with the same workplace giving and federated grantmaking model as Community Shares, but operating in a different Ohio metro area without direct geographic overlap.
• The Columbus Foundation: Major Central Ohio community foundation managing donor-advised funds and grantmaking. Serves some of the same donors and nonprofits in the Columbus region as Community Shares, though via a different giving vehicle (DAFs and endowed grants rather than payroll deduction).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/communityshares
• Facebookfacebook.com/comsharecbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-shares-of-mid-ohio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Shares of Mid Ohio