Week 7: The Research Grind

My seventh week as a Summer Fellow with The Columbus Foundation was very productive and consisted of a lot of individual research!

First, I received feedback on the 2025 Annual Report I drafted early in my fellowship, which we are now gearing up to send out featuring our new logo. I worked to implement the requested changes while maintaining the report’s visual aesthetics through selective reformatting.

Next, I sent follow-up emails to nonprofits that The Westerville Fund has previously worked with as part of my ongoing project to gather footage, quotes, and pictures for social media posts—helping spread awareness and giving Westerville community members a clearer picture of the fund’s impact.

After this, I combed through The Westerville Fund’s records to catalog all of the organizations we have supported in the past. I then researched nonprofits in the Westerville area that have not yet received a grant from the fund, compiling my findings into an Excel workbook for future use. This list will also come in handy as we send out our Request for Proposal (RFP) to award additional grants throughout the community.

A majority of my time this week, however, was spent identifying estate planning attorneys and financial advisors and wealth managers in the Westerville area. I compiled their names, firms, office addresses, websites, emails, and phone numbers into a second Excel workbook. These contacts will be a valuable resource for seniors and others interested in leaving philanthropic gifts to organizations like The Westerville Fund. In total, I identified 13 estate planning attorneys and 35 financial advisors and wealth managers across the area.

Overall, it was a productive week, and I’m looking forward to next week where I plan to develop more content and begin drafting plans for The Westerville Fund’s 50th anniversary.

More updates to come,

Owen