Founders Day 2026 – April 15!
Mark your calendars for our 76th annual Founders’ Day celebration, which will take place at 5:30 p.m., April 15 at the Columbus Center for Architecture and Design. Tickets are available here.
Plan to join us for an evening to toast the best in Central Ohio journalism (and bestow our annual Brick Wall Award), catch up with current and former colleagues, and be inspired by student journalists. Funds raised support college scholarships for deserving journalism students and chapter programming, much of which is free.
When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Where: Columbus Center for Architecture and Design, 50 W. Town St., Columbus, OH 43215.
Tickets: $32 / per person (includes light appetizers and beer/wine). Click here to buy tickets on TicketSpice.
Silent auction info: Remember to bring cash, check or Venmo info to participate in the silent auction. If you’d like to donate a gift card, item, experience or subscription to support the auction, please email Mike Livingston at spjcentralohio@gmail.com by March 31.
Call for Nominations
Members are also invited to submit nominations for our annual chapter awards, which will be announced at the event and honor outstanding contributions to the profession, the First Amendment and more. A list of those awards and their criteria can be found on the Chapter website. Please direct nominations to Mike Livingston by March 13 at spjcentralohio@gmail.com.
And while we have you…
Don’t forget to submit your entries for the Ohio SPJ Contest by March 20. Our annual statewide contest is presented collaboratively by the Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland Pro Chapters of the SPJ and honors print, broadcast, digital, trade, freelance and college journalists in Ohio for their best work during 2025. To submit entries or for more information, please visit our contest website.