COLUMBUS, Ind. — A celebratory High Five Day arrived with what leaders acknowledged is a high financial goal for the nonprofit Landmark Columbus Foundation: $1 million in its endowment fund by the end of the year.
At least that was the case until board chair Mark Elwood stepped up to speak at Wednesday afternoon’s annual meeting at the Upland Columbus Pumphouse patio. He asked more than 80 people attending to envision something even more ambitious.
Such as reaching that goal by the beginning of the foundation’s Exhibit Columbus architectural exhibition opening Aug. 25.
“I think that people appreciated the challenge,” Elwood said after the event.
Elwood urged supporters toward that vision after he and brothers and community leaders Mike and John Elwood and their spouses recently donated a total of $75,ooo to push the endowment to $910,000.
The $1 million goal was established when the endowment was created. Mark Elwood also would like to see 100 new donors to the fund by that August date ideally, or at least by year’s end. A total of 102 donors have given so far, according to the organization’s leaders.
The foundation caring for the city’s cultural heritage has been perhaps best known for being the umbrella agency for the Exhibit Columbus architectural exhibition that has given the city’s Modernist legacy renewed global attention and sparkle since its inception in 2017.
Its annual budget now stands at $838,813.
The gathering is known as High Five Day because Exhibit Columbus was announced on 5/5 in 2016, and leaders like the celebratory symbolism.
“We’re very passionate about making Columbus an even better place — and making it so attractive that more businesses will want to invest their work here and, in turn, attract the best talent that would want to move here and work here,” Elwood said.
“We obviously think that Columbus is already great. But I don’t think you can ever stop building.”
For the complete story and more photos, see Saturday’s Republic.
