Today, Knight announced a $400,000 grant to Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU), which will launch a new program to connect our diverse young business professionals with service opportunities in our nonprofit community. We hope the program will more deeply engage young professionals and increase the probability that they will stay and build lives in Northeast Ohio as they take on leadership positions and become embedded in the community.

Now, young professionals can combine their hard work, passion and skills with BVU’s program to launch them as recognized young leaders in the community, and build on Akron’s focus to engage the next generation of talent.

In Akron, as in many communities, civic leadership matters. Just being CEO of a company does not equate to leadership. One must be actively, civically engaged to make a difference. And the next generation of talent is ready to participate. 

BVU will work with young professionals groups like Torchbearers, which recently received a grant from Knight to helps its members become Changemakers and take risks on innovation.

Read more in today’s release and in the Akron Beacon Journal.

By Jennifer Thomas, program director/Akron at Knight Foundation