The Foundation

Since the early 1980s, The Wexner Foundation and its affiliates have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable and philanthropic activities around the world. The Foundation’s organizing framework has been built on developing leadership though investing in programs, people, and institutions.

The core of The Wexner Foundation’s philanthropic work has consisted of leadership programs that Foundation staff run and operate—investing in individual leaders. But the Foundation has also pursued its mission by supporting institutions and programs which serve crucial functions in enriching Jewish life and employing and training leaders for the North American Jewish Community and Israel.

The Wexner Foundation has invested in a wide variety of programs such as Birthright Israel, Hillel International, CLAL, HIAS, PEJE, JESNA and many more.

A constellation of people; thinkers, academics, researchers, practitioners, and innovators in Jewish life and in Israel have helped advance The Wexner Foundation’s mission and programs.

The Funders

Leslie H. Wexner

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Abigail S. Wexner

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Abigail Wexner, second from the right, at the groundbreaking for the Kipp School

BEYOND THE FOUNDATION:

WEXNER FAMILY PHILANTHROPIC INTERESTS

KIPP Columbus

  • Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose – college, career, and beyond – so they can lead fulfilling lives and create a more just world.
  • KIPP Columbus has grown from 50 fifth graders to over 2,000 students, ranging from infants to twelfth grade.

The Center for Family Safety and Healing

  • Family violence is pervasive and has lasting consequences.  Through research-based prevention strategies, the Center works to stop family violence before it occurs and to raise awareness with policymakers, service providers and the community so they know and understand how family violence impacts a person’s overall well-being over the course of a lifetime.

Wexner Center for the Arts

  • The Wexner Center for the Arts is The Ohio State University's multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art.
  • “We fuel creative expression, ignite cultural curiosity, and offer unique experiences across all art forms that enliven the local landscape while promoting global connections and understanding.”

Columbus Partnership

  • In 2002, the Columbus Partnership was founded as a non-profit, membership-based organization of CEOs from Columbus’ leading businesses and institutions.  What began as eight CEOs has evolved into the Partnership’s current membership base of more than 70, providing representation across the Columbus business community. The Partnership strategically considers how to uphold the vision to be the most prosperous region in the U.S.  To accomplish this purpose, leaders from member organizations and others convene to address opportunities to advance economic development, smart mobility, public policy, education, leadership development, philanthropy, community branding and downtown development.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

  • As one of America's top-ranked academic health centers, our mission is to improve people’s lives in Ohio and across the world through innovation in research, education and patient care.

Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

  • In 2019, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s was renamed in honor of Abigail Wexner, whose ongoing and passionate advocacy ushered in a period of unprecedented transformation at the hospital. During her more than 25 years on the board of directors, Nationwide Children’s grew to become one of the leading pediatric health care systems in the United States, and the Abigail Wexner Research Institute one of the most preeminent centers of its kind.
  • Mrs. Wexner began serving on Nationwide Children’s board in 1993 and acted as board chair for seven years from 2005 to 2012. During her tenure as chair, Mrs. Wexner led the hospital through the largest expansion in its history, including completion of a 12-story hospital building and a third research building, with more than $1.2 billion in regional economic impact.
  • Mrs. Wexner was at the forefront of strengthening the central Ohio community’s response to family violence through the successful merging of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy with the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence to create The Center for Family Safety and Healing on the campus of Nationwide Children’s. Since its inception in 2011, Mrs. Wexner has served as board chair.

National Veteran’s Memorial and Museum

  • The National Veterans Memorial and Museum began with a vision from the late Senator John Glenn (1921-2016), Colonel, USMC (Retired), who understood the pressing need to honor the legacy of the courageous men and women who answered the call for our country. We must carefully preserve not only the names, dates, and battles but the intimate memories, personal belongings and painful losses of our nation’s Veterans. His vision is now the guiding principle for the institution he inspired.