While Democrat Amy Acton served as a grants manager at the Columbus Foundation, records show the foundation administered millions of dollars in 2017 and 2018 to organizations involved in abortion services, civil liberties litigation, immigration and refugee services, diversity initiatives, climate activism, and Muslim advocacy.
Acton, who is running against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio, worked for less than two years as grants manager at the Columbus Foundation, a major 501(c)(3) charitable organization that administers donor funds and distributes grants.
In 2017, the Columbus Foundation administered $272,666 in grants to Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, a nonprofit that provides abortions. In 2018, the foundation administered another $243,951 to the same organization.
The foundation also administered $77,915 in grants to the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio in 2017 and $1,000,000 in 2018. The national ACLU says, “due process and equal protection” apply to every person “regardless of immigration status,” says it works “to strike at the roots of racial injustice,” “champions transgender people’s right to be themselves,” and describes Roe v. Wade as the case that secured “a woman’s right to abortion.”
Another recipient was Food & Water Watch, which received $8,050,000 in grants administered by the Columbus Foundation in 2018. Food & Water Watch says that it “fights for sustainable food, clean water, and a livable climate for all of us” and works to protect people from “corporations and other destructive economic interests that put profit ahead of everything else.” The group also says “people of all races, religions, genders, and sexual orientations deserve fair treatment and equitable opportunities and outcomes.”
The Columbus Foundation also administered grants to the Harmony Project, which received $572,556 in 2017 and $598,500 in 2018. The group says that its mission is “to build a more connected community by breaking down social barriers, bridging community divides, and empowering the voices of the people through arts, education, and volunteer service.”
Besa Community, Inc. received $58,558 in 2017 and $91,500 in 2018. Besa says that it believes “diversity strengthens our community,” adding that its “mission is rooted in the idea that bringing diverse groups of people together drives innovation and change.”
The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio received $49,150 in 2017 and says its mission is “to empower people and organizations to embrace all forms of diversity and create communities where everyone belongs.”
CAIR Ohio received $50,000 in 2017 and $75,000 in 2018 from grants administered by the Columbus Foundation, according to the provided IRS records. CAIR Ohio says that, “through legal representation, education, media relations, and advocacy,” it works to “empower the American Muslim community and encourage participation in political and social activism.” The group also says it counsels, mediates, and advocates for “Muslims and others who have experienced discrimination, harassment, or hate crimes.”
CAIR later became the subject of state-level designations by Republican governors in Texas and Florida. On November 18, 2025, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations, a move his office said would allow heightened enforcement actions against the organizations and their affiliates in Texas and prohibit them from purchasing or acquiring land in the state. Abbott’s proclamation described CAIR as an Islamist organization and cited the FBI as saying it was founded as a “front group” for “Hamas and its support network” in the United States.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) followed on December 8, 2025, with an executive order designating the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations for the purposes of that order. CAIR-Florida and CAIR National responded by signaling a lawsuit and calling the order “unconstitutional and defamatory” after CAIR had also filed a federal lawsuit against Abbott over his Texas designation.
The Columbus Foundation also administered money to immigrant and refugee assistance groups during Acton’s time there. Community Refugee and Immigration Services received $47,057 in 2017. The group describes its mission as helping “refugees and immigrants reach safety and stability, sustain self-sufficiency, and achieve successful integration into the Central Ohio community.”
Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS) Foundation received $5,000 in 2017 and $61,700 in 2018. ETSS says that it “began in 2000 as an outreach organization focused on the Ethiopian refugee and immigrant community.” Twenty years later, it was serving “individuals and families from over 100 countries and cultures” through programs including after-school and summer academic, cultural, and social programs, ESOL, job preparedness and placement, and family and community navigation for health and mental wellness.
The Columbus Foundation also administered $50,000 in 2017 to the Foundation for National Progress, which publishes Mother Jones. InfluenceWatch describes the foundation as a “center-left nonprofit” that “publishes and supports the social-democratic opinion and news magazine Mother Jones” and “supports the development of left-of-center journalists writing for the publication.”
Acton’s record on abortion has also put her at odds with some pro-life activists in Ohio. The Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio “rescinded its endorsement of DeWine in November 2020 over his appointment of Acton,” according to the Coshocton Tribune. The report also said the coalition criticized DeWine “for allowing abortion clinics to remain open amid the COVID-19 pandemic when the state health department halted elective surgeries and closed many businesses as part of its stay-at-home order.”
Acton has since received support from abortion-rights advocates. In November 2025, EMILY’s List endorsed Acton for Ohio governor, with EMILY’s List President Jessica Mackler saying the group was “excited to endorse Amy and work with her to win this race.”
Also that month, Acton used social media to denounce the Ohio legislature’s passage of a bill requiring middle school and high school students to watch an anti-abortion video.
Breitbart News reached out to Acton’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response.
