Birgit Smith Burton

Written By Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC

Birgit Smith Burton is the executive director for Foundation Relations at Georgia Tech. She is a respected leader in the fundraising profession and a well-regarded speaker on the topics of fundraising and diversity. Birgit has authored articles and co-authored books including The Philanthropic Covenant with Black America.  Recently, she received the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s 2020 Opportunity and Inclusion Award. 

As the current chair-elect for the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) global board, Birgit will serve in 2023 as the first African American woman chair in the organization's 60-year history. She serves as board chair for the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund and Hosea Helps. Birgit founded the African American Development Officers Network, which provides professional development and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Birgit earned her BA in media communications from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York.

Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC

Nneka Allen identifies as a Black woman and Momma, descended from those who traversed the Underground Railroad. Her African ancestors endured the Transatlantic Slave Trade, building North America through free and forced labour. This legacy connects her to the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, specifically the Cherokee and Lumbee tribes.

As a lover of justice, Nneka has inspired philanthropy as a Fundraising Executive in the charitable sector for over 25 years. She is the founder of the Black Canadian Fundraisers' Collective, a community that nurtures the well-being of Canadian Black fundraisers and supports the fundraising capacity of B3 organizations. She is a celebrated author and co-editor of a bi-national book that showcases the personal stories of 15 Black leaders in the charitable sector, titled Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love. During the 2022/23 academic year, Nneka took on the role of one of the inaugural Scholars-in-Residence for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of British Columbia.

Nneka is a relationship builder, stone-catcher, freedom fighter, storyteller, and leadership coach. At the helm of The Empathy Agency Inc., she passionately guides clients towards finding hope, purpose, and justice in their relationship with themselves, others, and the Earth. Her mission centres on nurturing wholeness and honouring humanity by harnessing the power of empathy.

https://www.theempathyagency.ca/
Previous

Naimah Bilal
Next

Christal M. Cherry