Columbus, Ohio — With significant support from a wide array of donors — and gifts that ranged from $5 to six figures — Besa has raised over $1M in its first-ever capital campaign.
The campaign, which closed at the end of 2020, was a three-year effort to raise $1M to invest in technology and services that will ultimately generate more than $5M in community impact. The money will help Besa continue addressing community need while transforming civic engagement — increasing resources in a time when thousands in Central Ohio are reeling from the economic fallout of COVID-19 and struggling to address racial injustices. Since receiving its first campaign gift, Besa has invested in new programming and technology. When the campaign launched in 2018, Besa set a goal of using part of the funds to rally 30,000 volunteers to give 75,000 volunteer hours across 3,000 projects over three years. It surpassed that goal, rallying 32,000 volunteers to give 80,000 hours across 6,000 projects. And in early 2021, Besa is launching its next-generation online volunteer platform, an immersive experience that makes it even easier for people to connect with the causes they care about.
“When we started the Campaign For Good, we focused on large foundation partners. The Columbus Foundation and Harold C. Schott Foundation made generous donations early on that served as important and powerful catalysts,” said Besa Founder and CEO Matthew Goldstein. “Over time, the journey became much more of a community effort — a mix of donors from volunteers to executives, small businesses to large corporations. And that, at its core, is what Besa is. I am grateful for every single donor, and I am grateful to do this community-lifting work alongside them.”
Donors giving $100,000 or more include: The Columbus Foundation, which gave $300,000 in gifts over three years; The Harold C. Schott Foundation; and Wolfe Associates.
Donors giving $50,000 or more include: CoverMyMeds and Installed Building Products.
Donors giving $25,000 or more include: William H. Davis, Dorothy M. Davis and William C. Davis Foundation; Mr. Paul Feeney and Dr. Chad Braun; Ingram-White Castle Foundation; L Brands Foundation; and NiSource Charitable Foundation/Columbia Gas of Ohio.
Donors giving $10,000 or more include: Big Lots Foundation; Crane Group; Dear, Columbus Fund of The Columbus Foundation; Easton Community Foundation; the Hinson Family Trust; Brett and Katie Kaufman Family Foundation Fund; and the Matt and Meara Scantland Family Fund.
Hundreds more people gave generous donations from $5 to $5,000.
Since launching in 2012, Besa has rallied 52,000 corporate and individual volunteers to give 128,000 hours on 9,200 service projects and has made $33M in community impact.
Besa is a Columbus nonprofit dedicated to supporting those who need it most by connecting people and businesses to community service. Besa offers a portal at www.givebesa.org where Columbus residents can easily find and register for volunteer opportunities citywide; it hosts drives for various nonprofits; and it helps corporate partners manage and strengthen their philanthropic efforts.
CONTACT
Kristy Eckert, Kristy Eckert Communications
614.746.2787, kristy@kristyeckert.com
