Freshbox Blog

Partner Profile: The Columbus Foundation

Following Lutheran Social Service’s success in 2008 with their first social enterprise, Fairhaven Lawn Care, they applied for and received a capacity-building grant from The Columbus Foundation to start a social enterprise venture in Columbus.  That grant led to the creation of Freshbox.  Now, The Columbus Foundation is one of our biggest customers and advocates.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with their outstanding work, in 2009 alone they gave out nearly $80 million to nonprofits in central Ohio.  Read on to learn more about the 9^th largest foundation in the United States.

Tell us about The Columbus Foundation.  What’s your mission?
The mission of The Columbus Foundation is to assist donors and others in strengthening and improving the community for the benefit of all its residents.  We fulfill this mission through the core value: an informed donor is a more effective donor.

How long has The Columbus Foundation existed?  How has it changed since it was founded?
The Columbus Foundation has been making a difference in our community since 1943.  Over that time, the Foundation and its donors have granted over $1 billion to organizations in need.  Over the organization’s history, we have changed and grown to be one of the nation’s top 10 community foundations – which speaks volumes of the generous and responsible community that central Ohio truly is.

Who does The Columbus Foundation serve in Columbus?  What opportunities do you offer them?
Our donors in central Ohio, and 33 states, are able to support any charity of their choice so long as it is a 501(c)(3).  We serve any Franklin County 501(c)(3) through our competitive grant-making process.  Both nonprofits and donors have access to PowerPhilanthropy, an online resource full of information to help make effective giving.  More information about our varied, flexible, and strategic philanthropy is available at www.columbusfoundation.org.

Can you tell us more about PowerPhilanthropy?
PowerPhilanthropy (P2) was launched in 2008 to help donors and the general public build an understanding of the charitable causes most important to them and their community, and to provide donors with the knowledge and resources needed to make effective giving.  It allows users to search an online database of hundreds of central Ohio nonprofit organizations, learn about them, and even make a grant – for as little as twenty dollars.  Each nonprofit has created a custom portrait detailing their mission, programs offered, and finances, as well as the results of their efforts.  This is a very popular way to make an effective and well thought-out gift to new organizations, or even favorite ones.

We read that you recently completed a Columbus Arts Market Sustainability Analysis.  What were some of the key findings?
Changes in our nation’s economy and in the patterns in which organizations and individuals are able to spend money have changed drastically.  Our wonderful and vibrant arts community has had to adjust as patronage numbers have shifted and operating costs have risen.  The sustainability analysis gave us a look at that climate with a lens to the future and how we can collectively work to ensure that our arts community remains a great asset to our region.

What has The Columbus Foundation accomplished recently that’s made you proud?
We are proud of our donors and their generosity.  We are proud of the nonprofits touching lives, and directly making an impact in individuals’ lives.  That process of making our community a better place is very important.
I’d recommend checking out our latest annual report titled ‘GO Together’  where that community pride is harnessed in many descriptive and important ways.

If readers are interested in supporting The Columbus Foundation, how can they do that?
Two easy ways are to engage with us via social media and to support a favorite organization through PowerPhilanthropy – while sharing it as a great tool.  For some, setting up a fund might be the answer – more information about our funds can be found here.

How are you connected to Freshbox and why do you continue to support it?
The Columbus Foundation and our donors were some of the first to support Lutheran Social Service’s expanding social enterprise program.  The capacity-building grant from the Foundation was instrumental in creating Freshbox.  Now, many of our events are catered by Freshbox.  We love the product, the mission, and the work that you do.

Is there anything else important that you’d like people to know about The Columbus Foundation?
We are your community foundation.  Please use us as a resource in your journey and desire to help make central Ohio a better community.  Don’t hesitate to contact us for additional information.

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