Central Ohio nonprofits stretched by rising costs; city program and local innovations aim to help

At a Columbus Metro Club forum at the National Veterans and Memorial Museum, nonprofit leaders, corporate partners and city officials warned that central Ohio’s nonprofit sector is under mounting financial pressure but offered local strategies — flexible city grants, corporate partnerships and earned-income innovations — meant to keep services flowing.

“My name is Sophia Fifner. I’m the president and CEO of the Columbus Metro Club,” Fifner said as she opened the event and introduced a panel that included corporate, nonprofit and city leaders.

The panelists described a patchwork of revenue sources and growing constraints. Emilyn Jerome, CEO of Lower Lights Ministries, said her organization relies on a mix of income: “about 45% of our funding comes from grants and foundations. 45% of our funding comes from individuals… and then 10% of our funding comes from self- or generated revenue,” and she stressed that diversifying streams is key to sustainability.

Hannah Jones, deputy director of development for the City of Columbus, highlighted the city’s Elevate grant program as an intentional move toward operational support. Jones said Elevate prioritizes multi-year, capacity-building awards where possible and aims to soften barriers by offering scheduled advanced payments in a system that otherwise reimburses grantees: “we started to move towards much more capacity building operational grants… three-year grant cycles so that we can allow sustainability planning for our partners.” She added the city solicits regular grantee feedback to refine program design.

Recipients said the flexibility matters. A recipient of the Elevate grant said being able to reallocate funds helped retain staff during hard periods and allowed organizations to respond to changing needs without excessive reporting burdens.

Panelists and corporate partners urged partnerships that go beyond checks. Lindsey Baker of Huntington National Bank urged nonprofits to leverage corporate expertise and new tools, including training and AI, to increase efficiency: investments in technical assistance and employee volunteer programs can multiply the effect of monetary gifts.

The forum highlighted several local innovations. The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio described a decades-old wood shop and a newer “pop-up wood shop” model that brings flat-pack dresser assembly to corporate and community sites, turning volunteer engagement into a means of producing furniture for families in need. Another panelist recounted converting a $2 million building on Sullivan Avenue into an early-learning center with more than $500,000 in in-kind subcontracting contributions and weekend volunteer labor from a construction partner.

Panelists repeatedly cited staffing strain and client needs as immediate risks. Nonprofit leaders described staff burnout, turnover and the operational stress of serving clients who face housing instability, medical debt and benefits cliffs. Hannah Jones noted that the city’s housing-related programs have to prioritize construction and capital supports; she told an audience member that a Notice of Availability (NOA) for non-traditional housing construction costs tied to the recent $500 million bond package is posted on the City of Columbus website, but emphasized that the NOA covers construction costs rather than ongoing operational support.

Audience members raised sector-scale concerns. Tasha Booker noted recent nonprofit closures and layoffs; panelists agreed that additional funding sources and coordinated prioritization are required, and they pointed to the Funding Review Advisory Commission’s recommendations — which include possible revenue-generation options and efficiency improvements — as part of the local conversation.

Practical advice for nonprofits included being transparent with funders about needs and capacity, setting realistic goals, and developing diversified revenue plans. One panelist said their organization follows a 40% rule limiting any single grant to no more than 40% of a program’s budget to avoid dependence on a single funder.

The forum closed with calls for continued collaboration between funders, nonprofits and city government. Organizers recommended Vu Le’s Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy for further reading and invited attendees to future CMC forums.

The most recent procedural step noted at the forum was the City of Columbus’ NOA for projects tied to the bond package; panelists said follow-up with city staff and funder partners is the likely next action for organizations seeking capital funds.