The African American Development Officers Network (AADO) is a network of more than 3,500 fundraising professionals of color from across North America.

Founded in 1999, its mission is to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color.

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MEET OUR FOUNDER

Birgit Smith Burton is the CEO and Founder of AADO, the African American Development Officers Network, which she founded at Georgia Tech in 1999 to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color.

She is a well-regarded speaker on the topic of fundraising and diversity and has authored articles on diversity in the fundraising profession. Birgit coauthored the book, The Philanthropic Covenant with Black America, contributed to the book Five Minutes for Fundraising, A Collection of Expert Advice, and tells her personal story in the book Collecting Courage, which shares the lived experiences of Black women and men working in nonprofit and charitable space (published fall 2020).

During her 26-year career at Georgia Tech she led her team in raising over $700M from private philanthropic foundations to support programs, scholarships, and capital projects. Birgit was selected to participate in the first cohort of Leading Women @ Tech and was a recipient of the team award for Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development for the Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing.

For nearly a decade, she has served on the global board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and has the distinction of being the first African American woman in AFP’s 62- year history to be voted chair of the AFP Global Board. Birgit received the Opportunity and Inclusion Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education which recognized her leadership in fostering inclusion and diversity within the fundraising profession. In 2020 the R.I.S.E. Fund was established in Birgit’s honor with a mission to advance women of color in fundraising by providing Resources, Inspiration, Support, and Education.

In addition to serving as chair of the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund, which honors her grandmother, Birgit serves on the advisory council for Somos El Poder (A National Latinx Fundraising Institute) and the advisory committee for Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC). She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Holding a bachelor's degree in media communications from Medaille University in Buffalo, New York – Birgit also serves on its board of Trustees.

2024 AADO CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE

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CHRISTOPHER BECK

CAP® Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Principal Gifts/Inclusive Philanthropy Southeast/Relational, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

SHANE CARLIN

President/CEO and Director Of Leadership Gifts, Asian Student Achievement / The Salvation Army

ALYSSIA COATES, Ph.D

Senior Director of Development, Brown University, Division of Advancement

BRITTINI LASSEIGNE

Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Clark County

V. FAITH MONTGOMERY

Vice President and Managing Director, Lindauer Global

ALICIA N. SMITH

Senior Director, Schusterman Family Philanthropies

TIFFANY SYLVE

Sr. Development Assistant for Foundation Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology

2024 AADO CONFERENCE TEAM

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

  • Visit our website and then click on the “register” tab. Your ticket purchase automatically registers you as a conference attendee.

  • Yes. If you do not receive your email confirmation within 24 hours, please check your email spam folder first and then contact our Customer Service team at contact@aadonetwork.org for assistance.

  • Access to all live event sessions and event materials. Any live sessions that are recorded will also be made available to all registrants following the conclusion of the event, via an on-demand platform.

  • You may register at any time, up until the first day of the conference.

  • No, you will need to register for the entire event.

  • Lunch will be included only on the middle day of the conference, Tuesday, June 11th. Attendees are on their own for lunch Monday, June 10th and Wednesday, June 12th. The Emory Conference Center Hotel has two restaurants, snack bars and is located in a neighborhood with several local eateries within walking distance.

  • Membership is not required to register for any of our events.

  • Visit https://aadoconference.com and select “agenda” in the navigation.

  • The dress code at our events is business casual for all participants.  Meeting rooms can get chilly, so we recommend layers for your comfort.

  • If you have special needs and/or dietary restrictions, please let us know when registering or by contacting our Customer Service team at contact@aadonetwork.org. We will try our best to accommodate dietary requests, but cannot guarantee selections or that all options will be available

  • This depends on the scheduled sessions. Some sessions will include opportunities to allow for discussions between participants, as well as a networking reception at select events. Please visit the conference itinerary for this information at https://aadoconference.com.

  • The conference will be held in Eastern Standard Time (EST)

  • AADO has made every effort to keep the registration costs low. We do not offer group discounts and require each attendee to individually register.

  • Please send an email to contact@aadonetwork.org to inquire.

  • Please visit https://www.aadoconference.com/ and click on the Sponsorship tab or send an email to contact@aadonetwork.org

  • You can pay using a credit card, check, or wire transfer via Eventbrite.

  • Yes, a receipt will be sent to the email you provide to us at registration.

  • Refunds will be issued up to 30 days prior to the conference (May 10, 2024). All refunds are subject to a $50.00 service fee.

  • Yes. Our Customer Service team can assist you with these arrangements. Please contact us via email at contact@aadonetwork.org.