Columbus City Council approves $950,000 in Crime Prevention grants to local organizations
The Columbus City Council has approved approximately $950,000 in Crime Prevention grants for 44 local organizations and programs serving residents across Muscogee County.
The grants support programs focused on areas including youth mentoring, education, workforce development, reentry services, family support, recreation, and other community-based efforts intended to prevent crime.
The Columbus Office of Crime Prevention says its grant program provides funding to community and government-based organizations to initiate or continue grassroots crime-prevention programs. Its stated priorities include reducing juvenile crime and recidivism, providing direct crime-prevention services and supporting meaningful interventions.
Among the organizations receiving funding are Better Work Columbus, Boyz 2 Men ’26, Building Wellness, Columbus Community Center, Columbus Technical College, Girls Inc., Goodwill, Kingdom Sports, Open Door Community House, Scouting America’s Chattahoochee Council, Wright Way Fitness & Boxing, the YMCA of Metropolitan Columbus and Young Life, among others.
The individual awards vary significantly. For example, Columbus Technical College was approved for $150,000 for job training programs serving people at Muscogee County Prison and adult education students, while Goodwill was approved for $30,000 for its BRIDGE GED program.
Other grants include $30,000 for Wright Way Fitness & Boxing, which plans to combine boxing and mentoring with educational and career-support services, and $20,000 for Scouting America’s Chattahoochee Council for youth programs emphasizing mentoring, conflict resolution, safety and leadership.
The City of Columbus identifies five primary areas of emphasis for its Crime Prevention program: recreation, education, drug and alcohol intervention, employment/jobs and community policing.
The city’s FY2026 budget included approximately $1 million for Crime Prevention Grants, according to the city’s budget documents.
The grants approved by Council will fund programs designed to provide services to children, teens, adults, families and individuals returning to the community following incarceration.
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