Columbus College of Art & Design announced on February 25 the conclusion of its Here for Change campaign, which raised $25,581,895 and surpassed its original $20 million goal. Campaign chair Gil Cloyd led the effort, which CCAD called the largest fundraising initiative in the college’s history.

The campaign funded the transformation of historic Battelle Hall into the Center for Creative Collaboration, which broke ground in 2025 and is scheduled to open in fall 2026. The new facility will include a fabrication lab, metal shop, and woodworking lab. Scholarship-focused endowments grew by 68 percent during the campaign, and CCAD also invested in faculty positions and campus improvements in the downtown Columbus arts district.

CCAD president Melanie Corn connected the campaign to the college’s newly announced Creative Pathway program, which offers tuition-free attendance for qualifying high school graduates in Franklin and Delaware counties. “This campaign represents more than a fundraising milestone,” Corn said.

Source: Columbus College of Art & Design