Events

May Lunch Program - What's the Big IDEA?

When: 5/17/2018 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM What's the Big IDEA?

Last year AFP International updated its Diversity and Inclusion efforts to include Equity and Access, creating a powerful new acronym: IDEA. This month's lunch program will explore why the change was made, what it means (internationally and here locally), and explore ways for fundraisers to incorporate the concepts into our daily work. The program will focus on the importance of IDEA in terms of recruiting diverse candidates for Board Members and Staff as well as best practices for cultivating and stewarding supporters from diverse communities.                                        We are thrilled to host this month's guest speaker, Birgit Smith Burton. The Executive Director of Foundation Relations at Georgia Tech, Birgit recently led her team in efforts to raise

 $309 million towards the Institute's most successful $1.8B capital campaign. She was selected to participate in the first cohort of Leading Women@Tech, which identified the next community of leaders who will guide the institution in the 21st century. Additionally, Birigt serves on the AFP International Board and chairs the IDEA committee. Birgit is a member of the board of Hosea Helps, an advisor for the Aspen Leadership Group, and the founding chair of the African American Development Officers Network, which for 18 years has supported diversity in the fundraising profession by promoting professional development and facilitating interaction among its members. Birgit earned a bachelor's degree in Media Communications from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York.
 
Please use this month's meeting to include Board Members, Executive Directors, and fellow fundraisers at your organization in this important conversation. We are hoping to provide information as well as IDEA-focused take-aways for attendees to start implementing immediately. We look forward to seeing you May 17!