Meeting Services with Social Impact
Columbus is a city built on care and community, always coming together to support those in need. Recently, in just 26 hours, our community raised over $18 million for 906 Central Ohio nonprofits—an incredible testament to our commitment to giving back. We understand how important Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are to many groups, and we're excited to collaborate with organizations to identify causes they're passionate about. Together, we can design impactful programs that leave a lasting, positive mark on Columbus.
Jump to: Green Meetings | Wellness | Community Service
Green Meetings
Columbus is known for being a green and clean community, thanks to its forward-thinking sustainability practices. Managed by the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Stewardship, the Get Green Columbus initiative focuses on sustainable city operations and community collaboration. This initiative encompasses a wide range of areas including everything from renewable energy and green building design to conserving natural resources and RecyColumbus, a popular residential recycling program.
Regionally, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) and the Ohio EPA collaborated to create evolving guidelines for Sustainable Events throughout the Central Ohio area. Inspired by the ASTM Standards for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows and Conferences and the United Nations’ Green Meeting Guide, these guidelines provide a collection of environmental, social and economic sustainability practices that can be implemented by those planning or servicing the various components of a conference or event. The Sustainable Events Guideline can be found here.
The City of Columbus has won several awards for its sustainability efforts, which you can learn more about here. In late 2018, the city won the Bloomberg Climate Challenge, which includes more than $2.5 million in funding and in-kind technical consulting to accelerate efforts to reduce carbon emissions over a two-year period. You can read more about the award here.
Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission
Experience Columbus is a member of the city’s GreenSpot Columbus program, designed to educate and recognize businesses that adopt green practices. An employee-led Green Team serves as stewards of the program and works to implement positive, sustainable changes within the organization and the community through lunch-and-learns, fundraising, service projects and more.
Proof of our commitment to green meetings can be found in the fact that Columbus is the first NCAA Women’s Final Four host city to receive “Evergreen” Sustainability Certification from the National Council for Responsible Sport. Learn more here.
Greater Columbus Convention Center Green Initiatives
The Greater Columbus Convention Center is committed to sustainable meetings. Learn more.
Indoor Hydroponic Smart Farm | Single-stream Recycling | Energy-efficient HVAC & Lighting | Green Seal Cleaning Products |
Wellness
We understand the importance of wellness and look forward to supporting every group’s personal and professional well-being initiatives. Healthy activities to enhance each attendee’s conference experience could include:
Workout Sessions | Juice Bar | Healthy Snacks | Meditations | Massage Chairs |
5K Races
A 5K fun run/walk is a common wellness initiative for groups. Downtown Columbus and the surrounding neighborhoods are proven sites for races — in fact, the OhioHealth Cap City Half Marathon, which takes place in Columbus every April, was voted the #2 half marathon in the nation by USA Today 10Best in 2024.
There are many choices of existing 5K routes or the opportunity to create an entirely new one. The Scioto Mile, a riverfront with miles of connected pathways, is a popular location for races as it provides a gleaming view of the city’s skyline. The option allows use of some of the existing downtown running/bicycle paths to minimize costs. The City of Columbus is a close partner with the Greater Columbus Events Council (operated by Experience Columbus) which allows for a seamless process of securing permits and scheduling any necessary closures.
Community Service
Whether through donations, volunteer efforts or team-building activities, visiting associations and corporations play a key role in tackling local challenges and strengthening our community. Check out some of our local community service opportunities below.
YWCA |
Mission: YWCA Columbus defies the status quo that puts women, people of color, and the marginalized on unequal footing. By fostering dialogue, providing practical resources, and educating our community, we promote empowerment and inclusion. We initiate systematic social change that will create a Columbus of peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. |
Outreach Opportunities: Volunteer to serve meals at their location, collect material donations, assemble care packages, make hats, scarves, and blankets, sponsor a meal, host a meal, organize donations. |
Dress for Success |
Mission: Dress for Success Columbus empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. All programs, including Interview and Employment Suiting, Career Center, and Professional Women’s Group Employment Retention are free of charge for every woman we assist. Any woman is eligible for service. |
Outreach Opportunities: Collect material donations, organize warehouse and/or basement, assist in donations acceptance area, sort and organize merchandise in the warehouse, steam or check-in merchandise in the backroom, create personal care bags, organize boutique area, prepare client folders. |
Star House |
Mission: Star House is a social service agency that operates Central Ohio's only drop-in center for youth, ages 14-24, who are experiencing homelessness. At our drop-in center, youth are provided immediate access to food, clothing, hygiene items, laundry facilities, showers, and a safe place to be, as well as access to therapy, case management, housing, transportation, health care, employment, education, addiction services, legal aid, government benefits, ID cards and more. In addition, Star House is the nation's only drop-in center that hosts continuous best-practice research. |
Outreach Opportunities: Collect material donations, volunteer at the warehouse, pick up donations, socialize with house guests, restock house supplies, clean the house, assist in the food pantry. |
United Methodist Free Store |
Mission: The United Methodist Free Store provides gently used clothing and household items to individuals and families in a hospitable atmosphere that affirms the self-worth of each individual. More than 50,000 families have become members of the Free Store since we opened our doors in January 1999. |
Outreach Opportunities: Collect material donations, volunteer as sorters at the Free Store, collect monetary donations. |
Freedom a La Cart |
Mission: Freedom a la Cart empowers survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation to build lives of freedom and self-sufficiency. We believe that giving a woman practical job skills and developing strong work ethic is vital for creating a pathway to freedom. So, we’ve created a safe place of restoration where survivors can heal, learn and grow as they prepare for sustainable employment and reintegrate into our community. |
Outreach Opportunities: Collect monetary donations and material donations |
Ronald McDonald House |
Mission: To provide families whose child is sick in the hospital with a home and support the health and well-being of children. |
Outreach Opportunities: Collect material donations, organize warehouse and/or basement, assist in donations acceptance area, sort and organize merchandise in the warehouse, steam or check-in merchandise in the backroom, create personal care bags, organize boutique area, prepare client folders. |
Reeb Avenue Center |
Mission: To build self-sufficiency in South Side residents through opportunities and transform lives through education, job training and local job growth including entrepreneurship. |
Outreach Opportunities: |
CelebrateOne |
Mission: To carry out the recommendations of the Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force to reduce our infant mortality rate and celebrate the first birthdays of more children in our community. |
Outreach Opportunities: community outreach, mentoring, event coordination, monetary donations, material donations |
Mid-Ohio Food Collective |
Mission: To end hunger one nourishing meal at a time and to co-create a sustainable community where everyone thrives. |
Outreach Opportunities: |
Explore more organizations and community outreach projects at givinggood.com/columbus-oh/.
Specific individuals, organizations and activities mentioned are subject to availability.