Leadership Akron Founders Society Annual Giving
Invest in the Leaders Who Will Shape Greater Akron
Leadership Akron is the only community platform experientially connecting Greater Akron Leaders.
For more than four decades, Leadership Akron has created experiences that bring leaders closer to the people, institutions, and realities shaping our community. Through those experiences, leaders gain perspective, build relationships, and carry a deeper responsibility for Greater Akron into the places they live, work, and serve.
With gratitude for the leaders who continue to invest in this work, the Founders Society invites Leadership Akron alumni and supporters to pay that experience forward through annual giving.
Your gift helps sustain the immersive experiences, meaningful connections, and deep community awareness that prepare leaders to serve Greater Akron with purpose.
Leadership Does Not End When a Program Year Does
The relationships leaders form, the perspective they gain, and the responsibility they carry forward continue to shape how they serve Greater Akron long after a program year ends.
That is why annual giving matters.
Your support helps Leadership Akron continue creating the experiences that challenge leaders, connect them across sectors and backgrounds, and equip them to lead with a deeper understanding of our community.
When you give through the Founders Society, you help ensure that Leadership Akron remains strong for the next generation of leaders.
Founders Society Annual Giving Levels
Your Founders Society annual giving level is based on your cumulative giving during Leadership Akron’s fiscal year, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Whether you make one gift or give throughout the year, your cumulative annual support determines your Founders Society recognition level.
Members are recognized across three annual giving levels:
Visionary Leaders
$5,000+ annually
Visionary Leaders make a significant annual investment in Leadership Akron’s continued impact. Their generosity helps sustain the access, perspective, and relational network that make Leadership Akron distinct.
Inspiring Leaders
$2,500 to $5,000 annually
Inspiring Leaders help carry Leadership Akron’s work forward through generous annual support that strengthens programs, deepens connection, and expands community impact.
Aspiring Leaders
$1,000 to $2,500 annually
Aspiring Leaders demonstrate a meaningful commitment to Leadership Akron’s mission and to the future of leadership in Greater Akron.
Why Your Annual Gift Matters
Program fees, corporate support, and foundation grants help make Leadership Akron’s work possible, but they do not cover the full cost of creating the experiences that make Leadership Akron distinct.
That is why individual generosity matters.
For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, Leadership Akron’s individual giving goal is to raise $250,000 in operating support. Your annual gift helps sustain the immersive experiences, deep community awareness, and relational ecosystem that allow leaders to:
encounter Greater Akron more deeply
build relationships that last beyond a program year
learn across sectors, backgrounds, and generations
lead with greater perspective, empathy, and purpose
receive scholarship support that makes Leadership Akron experiences more accessible
stay connected to the alumni community built for lifelong impact
2026-2027 Founders Society Annual Members
Leadership Akron is grateful to recognize the annual donors whose generosity helps sustain the work of Leadership Akron and the leaders who continue to shape Greater Akron. Annual member recognition reflects gifts made during the 2026-2027 fiscal year, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Visionary Leaders
$5,000+ annually
Inspiring Leaders
$2,500 to $5,000 annually
$1,000 to $2,500 annually
Aspiring Leaders
As Michael Batu, Signature Class 30, shared:“The reason why I want you to invest into Leadership Akron is because you can have a profound impact on the next upcoming leaders to make Greater Akron a much better community than what it already is.”
Continue the Work. Stay Connected. Pay It Forward.
If Leadership Akron has shaped the way you see this community, connected you to people you may never have known otherwise, or deepened your sense of responsibility to Greater Akron, your annual gift helps make that experience possible for others.
Your support strengthens the leadership ecosystem that continues to connect, challenge, and equip leaders across Greater Akron. Thank you for helping Leadership Akron shape leaders who serve with perspective, purpose, and connection.
Your Gift Also Builds Your Leadership Akron Legacy
Annual giving through the Founders Society is recognized each fiscal year. It also becomes part of your lifetime giving history with Leadership Akron. Your generosity today may help you or your organization grow toward future recognition in the Founders Society Legacy Circle, which honors lifetime support beginning at $25,000.