Dozens of donors have helped the Bexley Community Foundation exceed the goal of its first major fundraising initiative.

In September, the group kicked off its first campaign, after receiving non-profit status in 2010.

The foundation, which strives to “preserve the Bexley experience,” hoped to raise $100,000 by the end of 2011, but even organizers were nervous, said Gary Giller, the foundation’s development director and head of the fundraising campaign.

“We just picked a nice round number of $100,000, so I was nervous all fall, but pleasantly surprised that the people of Bexley stepped up,” Giller said. “We’ve always had a generous community, but it was great to see the generosity in action.”

By mid-December, the foundation had already surpassed its goal, raising about $115,000, Giller said.

“We currently stand at about $115,000 in donations that will be available for grant money to the Bexley community in 2012. We’re going to grant all of that money back to the community,” Giller said.

Just before Christmas, Giller went door-to-door to more than 80 first-time donors, delivering cards announcing the campaign’s success.

The money will help the foundation make a greater impact in 2012, with the anticipation that some larger grants of $10,000 to $25,000 will be awarded.

In 2011, the foundation had just $10,000 in grants to award and chose four community organizations, including the Bexley Library, that each received $2,500.

The larger grants could potentially allow a community organization to launch an entirely new program, Giller said.

Much of the money is expected to be awarded during the first half of the year. Community groups can find application information on the foundation website.

As the foundation looks to 2012, Giller said it hopes to continue the success it saw last year and is planning two fundraising events, including one aimed at young philanthropists.

The foundation, which is located in a 400-square-foot office on South Drexel Avenue, has its roots in a project that started more than a decade ago.

In 1999, longtime resident Peter Halliday, with the help of a handful of other residents, started the Bexley Heritage Fund at the Columbus Foundation with a $50,000 commitment.

The Bexley Heritage Fund was active in projects including the city’s southwest master plan, Pump House Park and helping to preserve the Jeffrey Mansion.

For more information on the foundation, visit www.bexleycommunityfoundation.org.