Elizabeth Ngonzi

Elizabeth Ngonzi, CFRE 

Adjunct Assistant Professor / Professional Certificate in Digital Fundraising Faculty Developer

Liz Ngonzi is an international educator, social entrepreneur, and speaker, helping purpose-driven leaders and organizations worldwide to clarify, develop and share their stories in order to increase their impact.

As an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Fundraising, Ms. Ngonzi teaches the popular Digital Storytelling, Innovation and Fundraising course. Through that course and as a trainer for organizations such as Candid and Vital Voices Global Partnerships, she has delivered instruction to thousands of professionals from organizations on six continents, teaching them how to activate their supporters through effective storytelling and fundraising. She recently developed our professional certificate program in Digital Fundraising, which includes her own course as the centerpiece as well as four other courses: (1) High-Impact Websites, (2) Social Media and Email Fundraising, (3) Social Media Marketing Marketing Analytics, and (4) Virtual Events and Fundraisers.

A serial social entrepreneur, Ms. Ngonzi is the founder and CEO of The International Social Impact Institute, which – through initiatives with partners such as CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the King Baudouin Foundation US, Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, and The Resource Alliance in the United Kingdom – seeks to “level the playing field” for social impact leaders from communities of color and other traditionally underserved and marginalized communities across the United States and around the world.  The Institute aims to provide such leaders with access to the resources, knowledge and networks that will enable them to thrive despite the various obstacles they so often encounter, as well as to increase the access of historically under-resourced social sector entities and organizations to funding opportunities. 

As an international public speaker, she frequently addresses audiences about leadership, digital storytelling and fundraising, personal branding, and digital innovations facilitating social impact.  She has spoken on these topics before audiences at AFP ICON; Cornell University; ENGIE North America; the International Fundraising Congress; ISOBRO Association (Denmark); the JCC Association of North America; the Obama Foundation; SXSW; TEDx CornellU; UNICEF; The Wilmington Trust; McGraw-Hill Financial; and the Woodrow Wilson Center, among other venues.

During her 25+-year career, Ms. Ngonzi has also been the turnaround CEO of Afrika Tikkun USA, the North America arm of a Nelson Mandela-endorsed and South Africa-based nonprofit organization; been an invited member of the U.S. Speaker Program at the U.S. Department of State; founded and run an international boutique consulting firm that advised academic institutions, associations, and multilateral agencies as well as human rights, health access and youth development organizations; and excelled in various corporate roles, including as a business consulting manager with a “Big Five” consulting firm.

Ms. Ngonzi holds a Master of Management in Hospitality degree with a Services Marketing focus from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a bachelor's degree in Information Systems from the Syracuse University iSchool.