Jonathan Lever Joins Madison Community Foundation as President and CEO After National Search
Madison Community Foundation (MCF) is pleased to welcome Jonathan Lever as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2027. Lever is succeeding Bob Sorge, who is retiring after serving as MCF’s President and CEO for 14 years.
Lever brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. He joins MCF from the John E. Fetzer Institute, where he serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary, and where he partners with the CEO and Board to steward an $800 million endowment and $40 million operating and grantmaking budget.
At the Fetzer Institute, Lever leads enterprise functions including finance, operations, talent, legal compliance and organizational effectiveness. His tenure includes reshaping strategy, diversifying leadership and staff, and redesigning organizational structure to transition the Institute from an operating foundation to a grantmaking institution.
Throughout his career, Lever has demonstrated institutional stewardship, collaborative leadership, donor engagement, and the capacity to unify stakeholders around shared purpose and measurable community impact. He has held ascending leadership roles at YMCA of the USA, culminating as Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer and prior to that, founded and led the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida.
“After a comprehensive national search, the Board is excited to welcome Jonathan as the organization’s new President and CEO,” said Anne Lucke, Chair of Madison Community Foundation’s Board of Governors. “We had a very strong, diverse candidate pool, and Jonathan rose to the top thanks to his extensive background in the nonprofit sector. His strong alignment with our mission and values, and his commitment to building relationships and working collaboratively, will support the strong growth the Foundation has experienced under outgoing President and CEO, Bob Sorge.”
During Sorge’s tenure, MCF’s endowment has grown to $529 million in more than 1,300 funds at the end of 2025. “It’s been an incredible honor to serve our community in this capacity,” said Sorge. “I have every confidence in Jonathan, the MCF Board and the MCF Staff to take the community’s foundation to the next level.”
“My enduring curiosity about how meaningful change happens drew me to this position. Community foundations, and Madison Community Foundation in particular, have the ability to connect generosity, relationships and a deep understanding of place to help Madison shape its own future. I am excited for the chance to help steward an institution that is already deeply trusted and admired within its community,” said Lever. “I am excited to put down roots in Madison and to listen and learn from the people here about how we can build on the Foundation’s remarkable legacy.”
