• Who we are

Leading with HEart

Empowering the next generation to lead with purpose.

Leading With Heart (LWH) is A Giving Heart Foundation’s national youth leadership program that empowers high school students to lead with compassion and purpose while raising funds for children living with CHD. With more than 150 program graduates, LWH builds confidence, encourages philanthropy, and inspires a lifelong commitment to making a difference.

Our LWH student leaders volunteeer their time to fundraise, organize, and develop skills that will last them far beyond their years in school.

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Expanding Leadership Beyond the Classroom

Leading with Heart is a youth leadership and social responsibility program created by A Giving Heart Foundation to develop confident, purpose-driven leaders. Through hands-on experiences, guided learning, and mentorship from accomplished community leaders, students learn how to build a vision, collaborate with intention, and lead with accountability.

Participants apply these skills by designing and leading philanthropy initiatives that support congenital heart disease research and program needs. Now in its sixth year, Leading with Heart has graduated more than 150 student leaders who have raised over $275,000, strengthening their communities while shaping the leaders they are becoming.

Supporting AGHF

A Giving Heart Foundation (AGHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the future for children living with congenital heart disease. We fund innovative research and critical technologies that support not only longer lives, but fuller, more joyful childhoods.

Accelerating the Growth of Young Leaders

Leading with Heart accelerates student growth by pairing real-world leadership challenges with mentorship from accomplished community leaders. Students build confidence, sharpen communication, and learn how to lead with clarity, empathy, and accountability. Guided by mentors who model values-driven leadership, participants leave prepared to step into meaningful roles within their schools and communities, with skills that continue to grow long after the program ends.

Why Join LWH

Students who join Leading with Heart do not just build resumes. They build confidence, character, and a sense of responsibility to the world around them. They learn that leadership is not about titles or recognition. It is about showing up, doing the work, and understanding that even at a young age, their actions matter.

From the first session, students are asked to define their “why” and connect it to a cause greater than themselves. They work in teams to develop and execute fundraising strategies, make decisions under pressure, and adapt when challenges arise

Leading with Heart invites the next generation to step forward, lead with empathy, and shape a future grounded in purpose and possibility.

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Getting Involved

Your role in this movement is vital. Here’s how you can help.

Donate

to the LWH class’s fundraising efforts to advance
congenital heart disease research and support the development of life-saving treatments.

Donate Today

Start a Chapter

bring leading with heart to your school and
inspire students to make a difference.

Contact Us

Spread the Word

share the story of leading with heart so more students
can join the movement.

Get Brochure
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Since its inception, Leading With Heart has generated more than $200,000 in grant funding to support pioneering research and technology that improves the quality of care for children with CHD.

Together, these efforts continue to grow, showing what is possible when we lead with heart and invest in a stronger future for every child.

Leading with Heart team holding a large cheque for $51000

They’re not just learning about leadership.
They’re changing lives today.