The Founders’ Award was established on CILT’s 10th Anniversary in 1995 to recognize the significant contribution of individuals who both exemplify and have advanced IL philosophy in the spirit of its founders.
Recipients of the Founders’ Award are:
| Sandra Carpenter* | 1995 |
| Karen Yoshida | 1996 |
| Ron McInnes* | 1997 |
| Frank Wagner | 1998 |
| Traci Walters | 1999 |
| Gary Woodill | 2000 |
| Judith Alexandra Snow* | 2001 |
| Harry Beatty | 2002 |
| Audrey King | 2003 |
| Warner Clarke | 2004 |
| David Lepofsky | 2005 |
| Catherine Frazee | 2006 |
| Marcia Rioux | 2007 |
| Tracy Odell | 2008 |
| Jane Staub | 2009 |
| Vic Willi* | 2010 |
| Michael Mathieson | 2011 |
| Ian Parker* | 2012 |
| Don Peuramaki* and Bill McQueen* | 2013 |
| Hazel Self | 2014 |
| Susan DeLaurier | 2015 |
| Fran Odette | 2016 |
| Judi Fisher | 2017 |
| Cathy Samuelson | 2018 |
| Ing Wong-Ward* | 2019 |
| Meghan Hines | 2020 |
| To be announced | 2021 |
*Deceased