Akron Children’s receives historic $50 million gift from philanthropist Tom Golisano

04-20-2026 (Akron, Mahoning Valley, Ohio)

Akron Children's has received a transformational $50 million gift from philanthropist, entrepreneur and child health advocate Tom Golisano.

The unrestricted gift is the largest in Akron Children's history. Akron Children’s will use the funds to support key strategic priorities, including developing clinical services in underserved communities throughout northeast and southeast Ohio; expanding congenital heart and cancer care for kids, teenagers and young adults; improving access to behavioral health services throughout the continuum of care; and launching innovative programs that enhance patient engagement and nursing excellence.   

To recognize the magnitude and significant impact of this donation, the health system will name its Akron campus the Akron Children’s Golisano Campus. 

“This incredible gift from Mr. Golisano is pivotal to Akron Children’s commitment to be the most trusted, inclusive and accessible pediatric health system in the communities we serve,” said Chris Gessner, president and chief executive officer of Akron Children’s. “His generosity to our health system and the other hospitals in the Golisano Children’s Alliance is a testament to his commitment to improving child health across the country. The gift will enable us to expedite our plans to bring highly coordinated, world class pediatric healthcare as close to our patients’ homes as possible.”

Tom Golisano is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. His philanthropic contributions to educational institutions and hospitals, including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations, exceed $1 billion. 

In 1985, Golisano established the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding grants to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

“By creating the Golisano Children’s Alliance, we are bringing together leading pediatric health systems committed to improving care for children and families,” said Golisano.  “Akron Children’s has demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting families where they are, expanding services in underserved communities, and building a healthier future for children across Ohio. Akron Children’s is an important addition to the Golisano Children’s Alliance, and I’m proud to support its vision for growth, collaboration, and lasting impact.”

With its expansion into Cleveland, Marietta, Medina and other regions, Akron Children’s sees even more opportunities to increase access to care close to those in need.

“As the need for services continues to change and grow in the communities we serve, we are committed to developing innovative solutions to address the gaps or unmet needs in pediatric and maternal-child healthcare,” said Shelly Brown, chief development officer and executive director of the Akron Children’s Foundation. “Mr. Golisano’s extraordinary generosity is an investment in Akron Children’s, and elevates our work as a growing, regional pediatric health system.”

Akron Children’s is a nationally ranked, independently governed, freestanding pediatric health system, delivering specialized pediatric care to families in a 33-county service area in northeastern and southeastern Ohio.

Making up less than 1 percent of the hospitals in America, independent pediatric health systems like Akron Children’s are major community anchors to specialized pediatric care, education and research.

Watch Akron Children’s President and CEO Chris Gessner discuss the gift and its impact on patient care here. 

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ABOUT TOM GOLISANO

Tom Golisano—entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader—is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives in business, healthcare, education, animal welfare, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His investments are advancing entrepreneurship and driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals — including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations exceed $1 billion. 

 

A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding grants to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

 

In 2025, Mr. Golisano launched the Golisano Children’s Alliance, a national initiative that provides strategic funding and brings together children’s hospitals across the United States to elevate pediatric care by expanding services, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring that children and families have access to the highest quality medical attention close to home. Together, Alliance members are building a nationally recognized network that exemplifies excellence, dignity, and innovation in pediatric health care.

About the Golisano Children’s Alliance

The Golisano Children’s Alliance includes 15 national children’s hospitals: Arkansas Children’s Golisano Campus; Golisano Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia; Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center; Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital at SUNY Upstate Medical University; Golisano Children’s Hospital of Lee Health; Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo; Golisano Medical Center at Connecticut Children’s; Penn State Health Golisano Children's Hospital; Golisano Children's at UK; University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital; Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Vermont Health; and WVU Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital.

Dayton Children’s Hospital and Avera Health in Sioux Falls, S.D., joined the Alliance with Akron Children’s Hospital on April 20.

About Akron Children's 

Akron Children’s is an independent, nonprofit pediatric health care system that has been caring for children since 1890. With two hospital campuses, seven regional health centers and more than 50 primary and specialty care locations throughout Ohio, it is the only health care system in northeast Ohio fully dedicated to pediatric care. Its vast network of Akron Children’s Pediatrics offices offers convenient access to expert pediatric primary care for patients from infancy through young adulthood. From School-Based Health Care to Quick Care Online virtual visits and Akron Children’s Anywhere app, Akron Children’s makes it easy for today’s busy families to find the high-quality care they need. In 2025, the health care system provided nearly 1.6 million patient encounters and employed nearly 7,500 employees. Learn more at akronchildrens.org