Support Us

Overview

Focused on building healthier communities, Leadership Asheville is western North Carolina’s premier community leadership development organization. We’re passionate about developing, inspiring and connecting our program participants and the communities they serve. We’re just as passionate about creating experiences that benefit our supporters and help them meet their objectives. We are indebted to our corporate, community and individual supporters and gratefully acknowledge the critical role they play in fostering leadership in the community and enriching the quality of life in the greater Asheville area.

How to be a Corporate Donor

Employee-Sponsoring Organizations
Each person selected for the Leadership Asheville Program has an important partner throughout the 9-month process: his or her employer. Employers and sponsors play a critical role in ensuring our ongoing effectiveness in strengthening our region’s leadership, engaging the community, and assisting our leadership in taking action for the benefit of our communities. Thanks to their employers and sponsors, participants have the opportunity to engage with others from throughout the corporate, civic and nonprofit sectors in greater Asheville. As a result they become part of a unique and diverse leadership network.Program participants are not alone in benefiting from the Leadership Asheville Program. Sponsors gain immeasurably from it as well. The Leadership Asheville Program expands participants’ abilities to lead in a diverse region and a multicultural workplace. It deepens their knowledge of critical area issues and links them with an array of civic and business leaders. This strengthens their ability to have an impact both in the civic arena and in their careers. Sponsorship also heightens the visibility of Program graduates and their organizations.

We are indebted to our corporate, community and individual sponsors and gratefully acknowledge the critical role they play in fostering leadership in the community and enriching the lives of participants in the Asheville region.
To view a list of  employer sponsors, please click here.

Strategic Partner Program
The Leadership Asheville Strategic Partner program was developed to provide the business community with opportunities to align itself with Leadership Asheville through a customized marketing platform. These bundled packages are unique opportunities for our institutional supporters to help build and maintain year round relationships and contact with our constituents. We refer to our Strategic Partners as investors because they invest in the future of the greater Asheville region. These investors play a critical role in ensuring our ongoing effectiveness in strengthening our region’s leaders, engaging the community, and assisting our leaders to take action for the benefit of our communities. For this relationship, Leadership Asheville will only align itself with firms that are good corporate citizens with positive images and high-quality reputations and that are deeply committed to community leadership and involvement.

The Strategic Partner program provides maximum exposure for a company seeking to align itself with Leadership Asheville. This bundled package is the most comprehensive of the supporting program opportunities available to our business partners. With extensive overall promotional rights and benefits, unique exposure at signature events through highly customized sponsorships, and exclusive access to our graduates, the strategic partnership helps you achieve marketing objectives in ways never before available while building and maintaining a unique relationship with Leadership Asheville and the community as a whole.

This three year commitment includes a variety of benefits and marketing opportunities. Please review the Strategic Partner Term Sheet (.pdf) for further details.  You may also contact us with any questions you may have.

Click here to see a current listing with information about our strategic partners.

Community Partner Program
This program was developed to provide donors with the same benefits as a strategic partner but on a more short-term basis.  This partner will typically give a significant one time donation to Leadership Asheville.

Corporate Partner Program
Corporate partners of Leadership Asheville donate the services that they provide as a business, and in exchange, they receive the same benefits as a strategic partner.

Media Partner Program
Our media partners will receive some of the benefits of the strategic partner program in exchange for advertising and promotional material for Leadership Asheville.

How to be an Individual Donor

Leadership Asheville prepares, challenges, and engages emerging and existing leaders through leadership development for the benefit of the greater Asheville area. The program is supported through tuition & fees, individual contributions and corporate sponsorship.

By contributing to Leadership Asheville, you will help ensure that we will continue to enjoy the leadership and citizen participation that has made the greater Asheville area one of the best places to live and work.

Leadership Asheville is driven by the commitment and energy of its participants, graduates, and volunteers. Those connected with LA have benefited greatly by the diverse network of graduates, skills, and broad knowledge of regional issues gained through the program. The community of graduates is filled with engaged leaders and decision-makers who represent an unparalleled resource working to strengthen the quality of life in our region.

Your contributions support both operations and scholarships. Tuition and fees for Leadership Asheville cover only 30% of the program’s operating budget. In addition, we try to award scholarships to assist those who might otherwise not be able to participate.  Contributions to Leadership Asheville help fill the gap, simply donate online or pledge now:

Your contributions support both operations and scholarships of the yearly core program. We try to award scholarships to assist those who might otherwise not be able to participate. Additionally, tuition and fees for Leadership Asheville do not fully cover the program’s operating budget. Contributions to Leadership Asheville help fill the gaps.

Endowments
Our long term goal is to establish an endowment fund with sufficient capital that ensures Leadership Asheville cultivates generation after generation of community leaders. Endowment funds produce income from investments while keeping the capital intact. This ensures that Leadership Asheville has greater financial stability and allows us to do more long-term planning.

Named Leadership Endowment: An endowment of $100,000 would provide sufficient income to provide one full Leadership Gift in perpetuity. The endowment could be named as the donor wishes and could be designated to provide a Leadership Gift to a particular sector. For an example, “The John Smith Leadership Gift” could be awarded to an individual in the arts community.  While the donor would be welcome to participate in the selection process, selection must be consistent with all of the criteria that Leadership Asheville has set out.

Supplemental Leadership Endowment: An endowment of $50,000 would ensure that one scholarship would be offered each year. Again, the scholarship could be named as the donor wishes and could be allocated to an area where the donor has an interest. The income could be assigned to Mission Hospital participants or to individuals working with youth, for example.

Challenge Gifts
One of the most important gifts we could receive would be a challenge gift where the donor offers to match donations from other supporters on a dollar for dollar basis.The donor could structure their gift to enhance annual giving or to encourage donors to make contributions to an endowment. It could be for a time period as limited as three months or extended to a year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who typically participates in Leadership Asheville?
Since 1982, Leadership Asheville has competitively selected over 1,000 men and women as Leadership Asheville Fellows. They include, among others, corporate executives, government officials, entrepreneurs, school principals, teachers, doctors, lawyers, clergy, community organizers and directors of nonprofit organizations. Participants are typically sponsored and financially supported by their employers.

What does Leadership Asheville look for in candidates?
The primary purpose of Leadership Asheville is to produce Leadership Asheville Fellows who are willing and prepared to serve their communities at higher levels. Leadership Asheville seeks applicants who have demonstrated leadership ability and commitment to civic and community affairs. Participants are generally articulate, curious, committed individuals who care about their communities and hope to make a difference.

What are the benefits of sponsoring a participant?
Leadership Asheville sharpens participants’ abilities to lead by giving them an opportunity to interact closely with a diverse group of people with multiple perspectives. Participants are exposed to a solid network of executives and decision-makers throughout metropolitan Asheville. Sponsoring a participant heightens the visibility of both the participant and the sponsoring organization. Companies, organizations and public agencies find that sponsorship provides an opportunity to elevate their civic profile while they expand employees’ leadership potential and ability to make a contribution to the greater Asheville area.

What is the sponsor’s commitment?
Sponsors support their employees in the program by giving them the time to participate and contributing to cover the cost of participation. For-profit, private sector sponsors are encouraged to contribute additional monies in order to provide tuition assistance to those candidates who are either employed by small nonprofit organizations, public sector entities, or are self-employed.

How does an organization become a sponsor?
Your organization can become a sponsor by nominating an employee for the program. If appropriate, the sponsor’s chief executive officer or board chair should nominate the individual. You can also sponsor a participant whose employer is unable to support his or her participation in the program. If you are interested in doing so, contact Leadership Asheville to find out if there are any candidates in need of sponsorship.

How can I get more information?
Please contact us with questions by phone at 828.348.0673 or e-mail us at programs@leadershipasheville.org.