Ohio History Giving Connection Archives

June 29, 2026

Conestoga Announces Its Largest-Ever Gift to the Ohio History Connection

Yesterday, Conestoga announced a remarkable $100,000 gift to support the Ohio History Connection—the largest gift in Conestoga history. As our dedicated volunteer fundraising organization, Conestoga plays a vital role in advancing our mission to preserve and share Ohio’s stories. This milestone gift is especially meaningful as Conestoga celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Since its […]

September 11, 2025

Bob Leonhard: Hooked on History for Half a Century

By Adam Dumbauld, Ohio History Connection intern You could call Central Ohioan Bob Leonhard’s passion for history, um, historic. Nearly 60 years ago, Bob caught the “history bug" and hasn’t shaken it since. Today, Bob is a long-time member of the Ohio History Connection (OHC). He’s a steering committee member for Conestoga, Ohio History […]

June 25, 2025

Conestoga Announces $60,000 Donation for Tribal Youth Internship Program

Conestoga, the volunteering fundraising Corps of the Ohio History Connection, has announced a $60,000 donation to help fund and plan a new Tribal Youth Internship Program. This program will place college-age Native Americans in residential paid summer internships at Newark Earthworks and Fort Ancient—both part of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Ohio’s only UNESCO World Heritage […]

June 23, 2025

From Sugar to Shards: One Volunteer’s Path to Ohio History Connection

By Glennda McGann Development Officer, Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks Sugar: Driver of global trade. Luxury item. Rotter of teeth. Also, the commodity that put Michael Dion on the path to a volunteer gig with Ohio History Connection. “I had done some travelling in Europe a couple of times,” she said. In the mid-1990s, she seized […]

June 9, 2025

Ohio’s stories both somber and joyous remind us why history matters

By Debra L. Mason, Annual Giving Officer With our recent celebration of Memorial Day, renewed memories of my family history, Midwestern roots and our collective history as a great nation still remain strong within me. My first recollection of Memorial Day is as a child in the 1960s, taking flowers to a cemetery where […]

July 14, 2023

Donor Spotlight – Todd & Becky Stephenson

The original Stephenson family settled in Ohio in the early 1800s, approximately four miles west of Fort Ancient. Today, 200 years later, Todd and Becky Stephenson are working to preserve the history of that same area. Todd and Becky’s support of historical preservation and education throughout Ohio has spanned many years. Todd’s 36-year geological career […]

April 12, 2023

Donor Spotlight- Jay Jackson

The photos above, taken decades apart, illustrate the dedication and passion that John "Jay" Jackson has held over the years for earthworks sites throughout Ohio. His interest began at an early age, fostered by his father, who taught him the meaning behind the sites and instilled the respect and awe that Jackson retains for them […]