The Association of Fundraising Professionals Alabama Chapter has honored its National Philanthropy Day winners. The luncheon at Birmingham’s The Club included awards to eight individuals and organizations whose achievements have made a significant impact across Alabama. In addition, AFP Alabama recognized seven “Volunteers in Philanthropy.”
Here are the award-winners:
Gabby Bolden, Bill Moran Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy
(Nominated by Children’s of Alabama)
In 2015, Pinson’s Gabby Bolden received a heart transplant at Children’s of Alabama. “Once they got me feeling better, I was all around the hospital, assisting several patients with schoolwork during rainbow school in the hospital, the nurses and volunteers where I could,” she says. In 2019, Bolden, who is now 16, was named Champion of Children’s, representing the hospital at events such as the Regions Tradition golf tournament, races at Barber Motorsports Park and fundraisers. She continued her role through the pandemic, becoming the first patient to be a Champion of Children’s for more than a year, and she knows the importance of fund-raising at the hospital. “I personally know the importance of the things that are offered to assist you in living a normal life,” she says. “I saw first-hand the things that are offered, be it wheelchairs, walkers, arms in casts or slings, things that people take for granted.” Bolden points to Children’s Harbor on the second floor of the hospital as a prime example: “It has a place for kids to participate in games, win animals, test their computer skills … a place to forget you’re a patient,” she says. “That means a child can have a day of being happy and not be confined to a room, and there are more animals to win and things are updated to ensure that those who come after me enjoy life regardless of their circumstances.” Bolden, an 11th-grader at Cornerstone Schools of Alabama who plans to study mechanical engineering in college, says she’s proud of what she’s been able to do for Children’s and urges others to get involved. “Because of the many campaigns I’ve participated in, things are still available and improved,” she says. “Your financial or physical help really does make a difference in a life.”
Brasfield & Gorrie, Outstanding Corporate Citizen
(Nominated by the University of Alabama at Birmingham)
Birmingham’s Brasfield & Gorrie was founded 60 years ago, and from the start, giving back to the communities where its employees live and work has been a key part of the company’s culture. “Brasfield & Gorrie has always believed in living by the Golden Rule, and our philanthropic giving and volunteering are part of our commitment to doing things the right way,” says Miller Gorrie, chairman and founder of the construction firm. That means encouraging employees to serve their communities and corporate leaders participating in and often leading business, civic, charitable and social organizations. Brasfield & Gorrie recently introduced a charitable giving match program that matches employee donations up to $2,000 during Impact Week, an annual event dedicated to making a positive impact in its communities. Last year, employees across all 13 of Brasfield & Gorrie’s offices donated more than $1.3 million to 14 organizations, and Brasfield & Gorrie matched $700,000 to bring that collective impact to more than $2 million. “We can make a bigger difference when we work together, which we saw during our inaugural Impact Week in 2023,” says Rob Blalock, president. “We expect similar success in 2024. By focusing the entire company on giving to local charities, we’re committing to serving the places we call home.” It’s just part of the fabric of Brasfield & Gorrie. “Building strong communities is a part of who we are,” says Jim Gorrie, CEO of the company. “We have an opportunity to build up the communities we serve, going beyond the build to make a positive, lasting mark.”
Gregory D. Hyde, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Outstanding Professional Advisor
(Nominated by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham)
During the more than 40 years he’s practiced law, Gregory D. Hyde has focused on estate planning and probate, with an emphasis on charitable planned giving. “One of the hallmarks of Greg’s practice as an estate planning attorney is listening carefully to what his clients want to accomplish, facilitating conversations around charitable giving, and then employing effective, creative techniques to make those goals possible,” according to his AFP nomination. Born in Florence, Hyde was a CPA for three years before going back to law school at the University of Alabama and New York University and eventually working with Dominick Feld Hyde in Birmingham. That emphasis on planned giving came about “just by working with clients who were interested in planned giving,” Hyde says. “A client should work with someone who knows something about planned giving because it is a complicated and unique area of the tax laws.” Hyde has done his share of volunteering, too. Among other things, he has served on the board and as president of the Alabama Association of Charitable Gift Planners and as founding chair of the University of Alabama’s Planned Giving Advisory Committee. He’s also worked with the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham’s professional advisor committee. Hyde is honored by the AFP nomination and award. “It would be an honor anytime, but especially so as I am gliding toward retirement and cannot think of a better honor at this point of my law career,” he says.
Virginia Gilbert Loftin, William S. Roth Outstanding Fundraising Executive
(Nominated by Birmingham-Southern College)
When Virginia Gilbert Loftin left her first career as a journalist, she joined the junior board of the YWCA in Birmingham and learned her first philanthropic lessons through Executive Director Suzanne Durham. “I learned … that fundraising is not about money; it’s about mission,” she says. A couple of years later, Loftin landed her first professional fundraising jobs at UAB, with the School of Nursing, School of Medicine and assistant VP for development communications, where she developed a communications strategy for UAB’s $1B Campaign. Loftin served as president of the Delta Zeta Sorority Foundation from 2014-2018, was a foundation trustee for 11 years and co-chaired the national sorority’s Walk Truly fundraising campaign. Loftin also chaired the building committee and fundraising effort for the Delta Zeta house at the University of Alabama. Loftin served as vice president for advancement and communications at Birmingham-Southern College from 2017 until the college ceased normal operations in May 2024. “I knew the BSC job would not be easy, but it has been harder than anyone might imagine — first, bringing order to chaos, rebuilding a team and earning the trust of our alumni and donors; then navigating a global pandemic, followed by 18 months in the foxhole with my president trying to save the college, then making sure we closed with dignity and grace, and now the wind-down, which will take at least another year to complete,” she says. “I can’t think of a less hospitable environment for fundraising, and yet we succeeded year after year because this little college on the hilltop mattered so much to our students, our city and state, and the world. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to fight a fight that was worth everything I had.” Loftin lives with her husband, attorney Robert Lee Loftin III, in downtown Birmingham.
Megan Montgomery Foundation to Prevent Domestic Violence, Outstanding Charitable Organization
(Nominated by Lisa Sims Harrison)
The Megan Montgomery Foundation to Prevent Domestic Violence was born out of the most tragic of events on Dec. 1, 2019. That’s the day that Megan Montgomery – who worked for UAB’s School of Nursing and was a devoted volunteer for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society – was murdered by her estranged husband. To honor her memory, and to continue the domestic violence work that Megan had started, her mother, Susanne Montgomery-Clark; sister, Meredith Montgomery-Price; and stepfather, Rod Clark, created the Megan Montgomery Foundation. “It’s very simple,” says Montgomery-Price, who is executive director of the foundation. “We raise money and then fund schools and organizations to provide healthy relationship education. We want to educate girls and boys to recognize unhealthy behaviors and stop relationship violence before it starts.” Clark, who is treasurer of the foundation, says Megan wrote about her domestic violence mission six weeks before her death and that the foundation is bringing that mission to fruition. “We have people who say they want to help others experiencing relationship violence but don’t know how to help,” he says. “The grants provide the tools to help reduce harmful behavior in relationships.” Montgomery-Clark, Megan’s mother and president of the foundation board, calls the AFP award “extremely bittersweet” because of the loss that led to it, but the foundation is a way of keeping her daughter’s memory and mission alive. “We know that any recognition Megan’s foundation gets truly and completely belongs to Megan,” she says. “It is her vision that is still alive and well. She has not been silenced.”
Dora and Sanjay Singh, United Way of Central Alabama Outstanding Civic Leader
(Nominated by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham)
Sanjay and Dora Singh, who met at the University of Georgia while he was getting his doctorate in technology and strategic management and she was studying pharmacy, are involved in a number of Birmingham-area philanthropic activities, particularly centered around education and culture. When it comes to education, “Our personal goal is to support and assist more than 100 students every year in perpetuity at UAB,” Sanjay Singh says. “We are halfway there and continue to build our endowment to support that.” But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the philanthropic couple. They are avid supporters of the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alys Stephens Center, Red Mountain Theatre, Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (HICA). In addition, Sanjay Singh, with former students and colleagues, has successfully built and sold several businesses and is now building CS Equities into an investment platform focused on real estate. He serves on the boards of Oakworth Capital Bank, Alabama Capital Network (chair), the Birmingham Museum of Art (past chair), Rotary Club of Birmingham (past president), Prosper Birmingham, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Alys Stephens Center and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Sanjay Singh is a graduate of Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama. “We started our philanthropic journey by watching and learning from our parents, particularly our mothers,” he says. “The only advice I have for others – do not wait to get involved in supporting community-based organizations. Everyone can contribute time, talent or treasure to support others.”
Beth Thorne Stukes, William M. and Virginia B. Spencer Outstanding Philanthropist
(Nominated by Samford University and Auburn University)
Beth Thorne Stukes is a former teacher in the Walker County School System who, following her teaching career, dove headfirst into community and volunteer activities because she believes life is a privilege and a responsibility. “My parents were both good citizens of their community and the world,” she says. “I observed them and their love and devotion for others, whether through our church with tithes, a committed member of the dental association or a supporter of women in Christian Women’s group. My parents felt joy in other’s success. It just seems a natural progression.” Stukes, a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has felt that joy in a number of ways, including serving on the Auburn University Foundation board of directors, Samford University board of trustees, Walker Area Community Foundation board of directors and Drummond Co. Inc. board of directors. She co-chaired Auburn’s $1 billion Because This is Auburn campaign. “I love my two education institutions,” she says. “Both are sending students out into Alabama and the world. Those students are prepared to engage in their communities. I know the world is/will be better because of my favorite land-grant institution and my Christ-centered institution.” Stukes is particularly proud of her work with the Walker Area Community Foundation. “The convening and grant dollars we provide offer hope to so many through our partnerships with our local nonprofits.” Stukes and her husband, Rick, live in Jasper, where they are members of Jasper’s First Baptist Church. Her email signature includes a Bible passage, 1 Peter 4:10: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
XVI, AFP Alabama Chapter Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA) Award
(Nominated by Morgan Emahiser Creative)
Allie Harrison Imaghodor calls herself a professional volunteer. “I’ve been deeply involved with various organizations across Birmingham for almost 20 years,” she says. “I have more unpaid, philanthropic ‘jobs’ than I have paid ones.” But since 2020, Imaghodor has been executive director of an organization that is deeply personal to her. XVI stands for Xander Vance Imaghodor, Allie’s son who was born prematurely in 2015 with developmental delays. “We have had the strong desire to be of help since our son was born,” says Imaghodor, whose husband, Oz, is an engineer by day and advocacy director of the foundation. Here’s how XVI’s website describes its mission: “We started a hashtag for those who wanted to follow Xander’s journey, #TheAdventuresofXVI. It evolved into being on adventures with other preemie parents, families of children with disabilities, or developing needs.” Imaghodor calls the AFP honor “humbling.” “We are a small, grassroots organization and to be seen and viewed as making a difference in our community makes me beam with pride,” she says. “In 2015, we were exhausted parents just trying to survive and selfishly make a way for ourselves for our son. I’m thankful that we are now doing that in an official capacity for others.” She says XVI has taken on new meaning since its formation four years ago. “XVI is my son and every struggle we’ve encountered over the last nine-and-a-half years,” she says. “XVI is also the hope of answers, the power of community and the joy of discovering a new outlook on the world.”
In addition, “Volunteers in Philanthropy” were honored at the luncheon: Stanley D. Batemon, honored by Jefferson State Community College; Regions Bank, honored by IMC Financial Consulting; Amanda Saint, honored by Better Basics; Steven A. Schultz, honored by Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School; David Silverstein, honored by the Alabama Holocaust Education Center; Dr. Brenda Lovelady Spahn, honored by the Lovelady Center; and Missy Ellis Yacu, honored by the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.
