Columbus State Foundation

What Columbus State Foundation does

Columbus State Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that serves as the dedicated fundraising and philanthropic arm of Columbus State Community College. The Foundation channels charitable contributions into scholarships, basic-needs support, academic programs, and emergency aid for the college's student body, distributing more than $2 million in scholarships and student support every year.

Its core offerings include Endowed Scholarships (minimum $25,000 gift, permanent funding) and Immediate Use Scholarships (minimum $5,000, deployable on receipt), a Basic Needs Support program anchored by the on-campus Mid-Ohio Market food pantry, the Blend coffee shop and Degrees restaurant (whose tips route to the food pantry), and named scholarship programs such as the First Generation Scholarship Fund and the William C. Johannes Veterans Award. Donor engagement is structured through the President's Circle ($1,000+ annual giving), Legacy Society planned giving, Employee Giving with payroll deduction (generating over $150,000 annually), and the Taste the Future annual culinary fundraising event.

The Foundation's revenue model is entirely contribution-based — no products or services are sold. Inflows span individual donations, corporate gifts, employer matching, employee payroll deduction, and planned/legacy gifts. In 2023, OhioHealth made a historic $25 million endowment gift (the largest in the college's history) to support doubling enrollment in health sciences programs, paired with $85 million in bond funding for the 80,000-square-foot OhioHealth Center for Health Sciences and a $12 million philanthropic sub-campaign for scholarships and medical lab equipment. The organization is governed by a Board of community and business leaders, employs 1–10 staff, and operates from the Columbus State Community College campus.

Name

Columbus State Foundation

Legal name

Columbus State Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://csccfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Columbus State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising arm of Columbus State Community College that distributes over $2 million annually in scholarships, basic-needs support, and academic program funding for Central Ohio students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Educational foundation services
• Charitable scholarship programs
• Community college fundraising
• Endowed scholarship funds
• Donor relations programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors, alumni, community members, and corporate partners. Includes online giving, check donations, stock transfers, and in-kind gifts of instructional value.
2. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Bequests, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, retirement plan designations, and other estate planning vehicles contributed through the Legacy Society program.
3. Employee Payroll Deduction: Columbus State employees contribute through automatic payroll deduction, generating over $150,000 annually in employee giving.
4. Endowment Contributions: Endowed funds established with minimum $25,000 gifts that provide permanent funding in perpetuity. Includes the OhioHealth $25 million endowment for health sciences.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Columbus State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises charitable donations from individuals, alumni, employees, and corporate partners to fund scholarships, academic programs, and basic needs support for Columbus State Community College students. The Foundation administers endowed and immediate-use scholarships, a food pantry (Mid-Ohio Market), planned giving programs, and donor recognition initiatives, distributing more than $2 million in scholarships and student support annually.

Product overview

The Columbus State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 that operates a portfolio of charitable giving programs supporting Columbus State Community College students. The Foundation provides over $2 million in scholarships and student support annually. Its core products include Endowed Scholarships and Immediate Use Scholarships (both managed through the scholarships program), the Basic Needs Support program (including Mid-Ohio Market food pantry, Blend coffee shop, and Degrees restaurant), Employee Giving and President's Circle donor programs, and Legacy Society planned giving. The Foundation also operates the Alumni Network and hosts the annual Taste the Future culinary fundraising event. Named scholarship funds like the First Generation Scholarship Fund, Radigan/Alaimo Scholarship, William C. Johannes Veterans Award, American Culinary Federation Scholarship, and I Am One Scholarship represent individual branded programs within the broader scholarship offerings. The Foundation connects donors with students through multiple giving vehicles including online donations, payroll deduction, stock gifts, and in-kind contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• $5 of groceries supplied per $1 donated to basic needs programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Ohio State University Foundation: The Ohio State University Foundation is a large higher-education fundraising and endowment organization supporting scholarships, academic programs, and student success. It is comparable in mission and donor-funded operating model, but operates at substantially greater scale and across a broader university ecosystem.
• The Columbus Foundation: The Columbus Foundation is a regional community grantmaker that connects donors with charitable initiatives across Central Ohio. It is comparable in local donor network, grantmaking, and community-impact measurement, but its mission is broader than Columbus State Foundation's college-focused scholarship and student-support remit.

Direct peers

• Scholarship America: Scholarship America administers donor-funded scholarships and college-access support for students. It is a close operating analogue to Columbus State Foundation's scholarship, student-support, and donor-engagement activities, although it serves a national rather than single-college constituency.
• United Negro College Fund: UNCF is a national nonprofit that raises funds and awards scholarships and student-success support for higher education. It matches Columbus State Foundation's donor-to-scholarship bridge and education-outcome mission at a much larger national scale.
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund: The Thurgood Marshall College Fund provides scholarships, institutional capacity building, and student support to HBCUs and their students. It is comparable in combining philanthropic fundraising with college-access and student-success outcomes.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation funds scholarships and educational opportunities for high-achieving students with financial need. It is comparable in scholarship-focused grantmaking and student outcomes, although its student profile and national scope differ.

Regional players

• Cincinnati State Foundation: Cincinnati State Foundation raises and distributes private support for scholarships, student success, and academic programs at Cincinnati State Community & Technical College. It is a close regional analogue to Columbus State Foundation's community-college mission.
• Cuyahoga Community College Foundation: The Cuyahoga Community College Foundation supports scholarships and student success at Ohio's Cuyahoga Community College. It shares the same college-affiliated donor, endowment, and scholarship model while serving a different Ohio region.
• Sinclair College Foundation: Sinclair College Foundation raises funds for scholarships and academic programs at Sinclair Community College in Dayton. It is a direct regional comparator for community-college fundraising, endowed awards, and student support.
• Community College of Philadelphia Foundation: The Community College of Philadelphia Foundation provides scholarships and philanthropic support to community-college students. It is comparable in target student population, access mission, and donor-funded scholarship operations, despite serving Philadelphia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ColumbusStateFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csccfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Columbus State Foundation