Meet Birgit
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.
Birgit’s career in fundraising has been a 33-year labour of love. From the start, her focus has been to create a sector that’s inclusive and reflective of the community. In 1999, she started the African American Development Officers Network (AADO), an organization with a mission to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color.
This year, Birgit made history as the first African American female to join the election slate as chair-elect of the sixty-year old, Association of Fundraising Professionals. Birgit will make history again in 2022, as the first African American female chair of the association. Under her leadership, AFP has introduced new initiatives to welcome and advance underrepresented fundraisers into the association and sector.
Birgit also serves as board chair for the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund and Hosea Helps. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Birgit earned her BA in media communications from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York.
Meet Birgit
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.
Birgit’s career in fundraising has been a 33-year labour of love. From the start, her focus has been to create a sector that’s inclusive and reflective of the community. In 1999, she started the African American Development Officers Network (AADO), an organization with a mission to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color.
This year, Birgit made history as the first African American female to join the election slate as chair-elect of the sixty-year old, Association of Fundraising Professionals. Birgit will make history again in 2022, as the first African American female chair of the association. Under her leadership, AFP has introduced new initiatives to welcome and advance underrepresented fundraisers into the association and sector.
Birgit also serves as board chair for the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund and Hosea Helps. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Birgit earned her BA in media communications from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York.
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