The Columbus Foundation will provide a $2 million Grant to the Community Shelter Board, helping offset a potential funding cut from Franklin County and keep more resources available for those who are homeless.
According to an Aug. 13 release, The Columbus Foundation approved a special emergency grant of $2 million from its reserves to the shelter board.
The Community Shelter Board, a nonprofit that has coordinated Franklin County's response to homelessness for four decades, previously warned it would have to cut about 43% of the county's year-round adult shelter capacity after learning it wouldn't receive the roughly $14.5 million in county funding it had budgeted for fiscal year 2027. The cuts come as homelessness in the county is rising, including
the number of people living outside.
Doug Kridler, President and CEO of The Columbus Foundation, said in a statement that "we must do all we can to provide a full continuum of housing options for our neighbors."
"The possibility that at a time when our community is enjoying growth and economic development wins, we might have to diminish the number of folks who can be housed through our system of care is something The Columbus Foundation certainly wants to help prevent from happening," Kridler said.
A spokesperson for the Community Shelter Board did not immediately return a request for comment.
The three-member Franklin County Board of Commissioners will not vote on more funding for the shelter board until at least September. The shelter board’s fiscal year begins July 1. While awaiting a decision about funding, the shelter board amended its fiscal year 2027 budget for agency partner grants to $50 million, down $8.8 million from the year before.
The shelter board told The Dispatch in late July that it had made a $14.5 million request based off the nearly $11.6 million the county had provided the prior year. County Administrator Kenneth Wilson previously said at the time that the county never promised an exact amount this year beyond the $6.2 million in real estate fees it already awarded.
A spokesperson for the Franklin County commissioners did not immediately return a request for comment.
The Columbus Foundation grant will be paid over two years, according to a release. The first $1 million will help close the current funding gap and mitigate the decrease in the number of people served in facilities managed by CSB’s community partners.
At an Aug. 6 meeting, Franklin County commissioners questioned why private philanthropy, including The Columbus Partnership – a private economic development organization – wasn't shouldering a larger share of homelessness funding.
This is the second time The Columbus Foundation has dipped into its reserves to make a grant to CSB, according to a release. In 2025, the Foundation announced a $2 million grant to the organization. The Columbus Foundation and its donors have awarded nearly $10 million in grants over the past year to the Community Shelter Board and its shelter partner organizations.
Kridler said that "private philanthropy has an important role to play in supporting our community and meeting its challenges."
“At the same time, we appreciate all that Franklin County and the city of Columbus are doing for the people of this community through their funding of vital human services," Kridler said. "It is our hope that a pathway can be found to a sustainable funding model for funding human services in the future."
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Foundation grants shelter board $2M amid funding uncertainty
