• Columbus, OH
• Associate Director, Technology Product Manager, The Columbus Foundation

Award presented: September 26, 2020

Joyce Ray is an innovator and a change-maker who epitomizes Otterbein’s commitment to service. She is tireless (committed) in work to foster social responsibility and civic engagement. Upon graduating from Otterbein in 2000, Joyce served as the director of resources and programs at FIRSTLINK, Inc. (now HandsOn Central Ohio), helping individuals connect with needed social services and area volunteer opportunities. In this role, Joyce was instrumental in statewide adoption of the 2-1-1 three-digit dialing code for community information and referral services. Joyce then joined The Columbus Foundation in 2004 as a donor services research associate and now serves as Associate Director, Technology Product Manager. Joyce works to direct, technical solutions, user engagement, business processes, and training for existing and future technology initiatives. She also leads multi-disciplinary teams to manage the Foundation’s digital hub to strengthen and inspire philanthropy in central Ohio, developing capacity-building tools to buoy nonprofits and animating giving to engage donors in supporting many of Central Ohio’s most pressing community needs. Her development of multiple award-winning digital platforms including The Giving Store and leadership of highly successful events like The Big Give. Her work has provided a platform to help rally philanthropic support leveraging tens of millions of dollars for the benefit of the central Ohio community. Driven by a desire to benefit the greater good, Joyce has become a respected thought leader in her field, advising her peers and presenting at conferences to advance innovation and empower communities.