About: Katie Cramer joined Big Lots after graduating from Miami University in 2018. In her current role as senior philanthropy and events specialist, she leads the company’s philanthropic outreach and manages the Big Lots Foundation, which distributes $4 million annually to support organizations addressing hunger, housing, health care and education. She also works on the Exclaim Grant Program, which has granted nearly $2.5 million to 500 nonprofits around the country, and coordinates associate participation in numerous volunteer programs.
Community involvement: She is a graduate of United Way’s Project Diversity Pride Leadership program; secretary of SocialVentures and chair of its development and nominating committee; and leads Team Big Lots for Pelotonia, for which she is a six-year rider and has raised more than $13,000. Cramer also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio.
What does Columbus need to thrive? “In order for Columbus to thrive, we must strengthen the sector, organizations and cultural spaces that support New Americans during their time of transition and beyond. But if we aspire to be an authentically inclusive city for all, it is imperative that we look beyond formal structures to influence the hearts and minds of those who already call Columbus home. We must increase the cultural awareness of our current Central Ohio residents so we can each do our part to bridge the gaps for New Americans within the systems and networks we influence. I believe this can be accomplished through education and awareness.”
Cramer’s idea: “In order to address the need for deeper engagement and connectiveness between the refugee/immigrant population and the greater Columbus community, the Future 50 could pilot a community navigator program to build relationships with New Americans and support them as they begin life in Columbus. The Future 50 could identify nonprofits to partner with in this endeavor (potentially Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services and CRIS), and those organizations could facilitate a training for our group so we had a stronger understanding of the populations we would be working with, the challenges they face, and the services that exist that might be helpful for them. Then, each member of the Future 50 would be partnered with a New American family as a community navigator.”
This story is from the Future 50 feature package in the Winter 2023 issue of Columbus CEO.
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