The Ohio Genealogical Society is the largest state genealogical society in the United States. Its mission is to meet the educational needs of its members and the general public through the acquisition, preservation, and dissemination of genealogical and historical information.

OGS is a non-profit organization, incorporated under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) whose purposes are:

1. Fostering an interest in all of the peoples who contributed in any way to the establishment and perpetuation of the state of Ohio.
2. Searching for the reasons and forces behind the migration of early settlers into this state.
3. Preserving and safeguarding manuscripts, books, and memorabilia relating to the early settlers of Ohio.
4. Securing and holding copyrights, master copies and plates of books, periodicals, tracts, and pamphlets of genealogical and historical interest to the people of Ohio.
5. Publishing, printing, buying, selling and circulating literature regarding the purposes, records, acquisitions and discoveries of the Society.
6. Aiding others in the publication and dissemination of materials pertaining to Ohio, including biography and family and local history.
7. Receiving and holding gifts and bequests from any source for the benefit of the Society, disposing of such gifts and bequests not needed and using funds derived therefrom solely for the purposes of the Society.
8. Doing all things incidental to the perpetuation of the purposes of the Society, and exercising the powers legally and properly requisite thereto.