In a unanimous 3-0 vote Wednesday, Franklin County’s Board of Commissioners approved a nearly $430,000 grant to Stonewall Columbus, the largest government award the nonprofit has received so far. The money is intended to boost the group’s massive Pride festival and support its year-round programs serving Central Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, commissioners signed off on the package during their March general session, formally recording the 3-0 vote. The Dispatch notes the award represents a significant jump in the county’s investment in Pride-related operations.
History of county support
Stonewall Columbus has seen smaller Franklin County awards in recent years. The organization’s 2025 news release cites a $276,281 grant, and a 2024 post recounts a $50,000 commitment. Those earlier infusions helped cover festival expenses and the center’s ongoing services, a track record county leaders referenced when lining up behind this larger award. Stonewall Columbus published the 2025 announcement, and the group’s 2024 page documents that earlier $50,000 gift.
Pride's size makes the funding consequential
Columbus Pride draws roughly 700,000 attendees and is often described as the second-largest Pride event in the Midwest behind Chicago, a scale that strains logistics and public-safety budgets. Wikipedia and local coverage highlight the event’s sprawling footprint, which organizers say demands reliable backing for staging, sanitation and security.
Why the county stepped in
Local reporting has shown that some corporate sponsors pulled back support in 2025 amid national debates over DEI, leaving a budget hole that counties and foundations stepped in to help fill. Axios Columbus and public-radio coverage reported that Franklin County’s DEI grants were tapped to stabilize Pride financing, and WOSU detailed how that money was directed to security and year-round programming.
What's next
The county will now convert the award into a formal grant agreement, and Stonewall Columbus will be expected to spell out how the funds are split between festival operations and community services. Franklin County’s meeting records show the board has approved similar awards for nonprofits in recent years, and commissioners signaled they see backing major cultural events as part of the county’s broader community-investment strategy. Franklin County records document earlier grant actions that helped set the precedent for this latest move.
