The Women's Fund: A Force for the Future
For 25 years, the Women's Fund of Central Ohio has been doing things differently. Thousands have joined our Founders in a movement to fund groundbreaking research, bold grantmaking, and strategic advocacy. Our work has always been focused on women and girls and what they need to be truly free.
Join us as we honor our past, celebrate all we've accomplished, and think about what the next 25 years could look like if we continue to invest in Central Ohio's women and girls.
25 Years of Progress
2000
An initial conversation on a porch brought together 15 visionary women, our Founders, who recognized a funding gap for women and girls in Central Ohio. Watch the porch story.
2001
On June 27, 2001, our Articles of Incorporation were signed, establishing the Women's Fund of Central Ohio.
2002
Sharon Steele was appointed Executive Director and we moved into our first office space located at Huntington Center in Columbus. This same year, we awarded our first grants and hosted our first Keyholder event—making major strides in fundraising while uplifting women’s voices.
2004
We published our first research report, Count on Her! The Status of Women and Girls in Central Ohio, with support from a grant from The Columbus Foundation. This was the first gender-specific study conducted in Central Ohio.
2007
In collaboration with other women's funds across Ohio, we hosted our first Statehouse Day.
2008
Nichole Dunn was hired as Executive Director of the Women's Fund.
2009
Along with several partners, we launched the One Girl Initiative, a research collaborative that brought attention to the power and potential of girls. As part of the initiative, we released the groundbreaking One Girl research report. We also funded the One Girl collaborative partners.
2012
We moved office locations to W 5th Avenue in Columbus.
2013
We released Womenomics, an investigation into the specific economic barriers that many women faced—and still face—in Central Ohio. This research emphasized the need to invest in wealth accelerators for women like access to childcare and transportation. It also informed the strategy of other community partners such as the Columbus Women’s Commission.
2016
The Pervasive Power of Gender Norms was released, a groundbreaking local study uncovering root causes of gender inequality. The research revealed that over 50% of Columbus respondents to the Harvard Implicit Association Test had a strong to moderate association with men to career and women to family. We learned that gender norms were at the very core of gender inequity. In response, we updated our grant application to ask applicants how they disrupt rigid gender norms.
2017
Gender By Us ®, our proprietary gender bias training tool, was trademarked and released. This is a research-backed, interactive training about the impact of gender norms and implicit bias.
2018
Kelley Griesmer was hired as Executive Director, strategic multi-year grantmaking began, and we hosted Statehouse Day on fair pay with Lilly Ledbetter. We also launched a series of Spark Reports to provide the community with easy access to data about three priority areas: childcare and the benefits cliff, the wage gap, and access to contraception and medically accurate sex education. This series helped us better understand how these priority areas impact a woman’s ability to achieve economic security.
2019
Our Assets for Equity report was released and examines the gender and racial wealth gaps in Central Ohio, focusing on the causes and extent of these gaps as well as on promising strategies for addressing them. Drawing on multiple data sources, the report analyzes how wealth accumulation differs between women and men and how it differs among women along racial and ethnic lines, examining the obstacles that prevent women from accumulating wealth.
2020
We quickly and nimbly mobilized immediate impact grant funds in response to the urgent needs of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
The Enduring Progress Initiative was founded to invest $50,000 in organizations led by and for women of color to support their leadership and capacity building.
2022
Immediate impact funds were granted after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
2024
We participated in the first Paid Family Leave Policy Institute.
2025
Our Making Women Wealthy and Free report was released, outlining what over 3,000 women shared about their experiences with building wealth in Central Ohio. The report is a roadmap for what our community can do to address the barriers that prevent women from building wealth and having the freedom to make their own decisions about their lives.
We also awarded the largest grant in our history to Action for Children and moved to our new office at 831 Goodale Blvd in Grandview Heights.
2026
This year marked 25 years of the Women's Fund and more than $6 million invested in all-time grants to over 400 grant partners advancing systemic change.
Support Our Work
As we look toward the next 25 years, we invite you to invest in a Central Ohio where every woman and girl has the opportunity to thrive. With your support, we can continue to be a force for the future. Make a one-time donation or become a monthly donor and have your gift DOUBLE MATCHED for a year for even more impact!
25th Anniversary Perspectives
Lachandra Baker
Board Vice Chair and Donor
Lori Overmeyer
Donor and Grant Reader
Liza Paul
Grant Recipient, Grant Reader, and Donor
Past Keyholders
Keyholder has been the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio’s signature fundraiser for many years. Through the generous donations of attendees and sponsors, we have raised millions of dollars to support our research, grantmaking, and advocacy. Additionally, we have inspired thousands of individuals to join our movement for gender equity.
