Milton J. Little, Jr. became the first African-American president of United Way of Greater Atlanta, the second-largest in the national system, in July 2007. Previously, he served as president of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. He joins a strong legacy of fundraising and collaborative leaders who bring together supportive partners in the for-profit, nonprofit, philanthropic and government sectors to identify challenges facing individuals and families and offer solutions. He has helped raise more than half a billion dollars for local community needs and priorities during his career.

In 2010, under Little’s leadership, nearly 17,000 Georgia families received $20.5 million in emergency financial assistance through the Georgia Fresh Start initiative, led by United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Human Services. The funds were provided by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide relief on past due mortgage, rent and/or utilities expenses during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.  He has been at the forefront of shaping the role of United Way in responding to economic and natural disasters, from bringing together community leaders when a tornado struck downtown Atlanta to overseeing United Way’s efforts to stabilize North Georgia victims of record flooding in 2009.

With vast networks of community partners and volunteers, Little developed and is making strides in a strategic plan that connects the region around the achievement of six community goals — the benchmarks of a thriving community. They include: 1. Children enter school ready to learn and graduate prepared for careers. 2. People have access to primary health care. 3. Homeless people are housed within one year. 4. Babies are born healthy. 5. Families are self-sufficient. 6. Young people avoid risky behaviors.

Before joining United Way, he served as chief operating officer and interim president and CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights and social service community-based movement. He also had a career in corporate philanthropy at AT&T and Lucent Technologies and served as vice president for Field Operations at MDRC, a non-partisan education and social policy research organization.  A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Little graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse College with a B.A. degree in sociology. He earned an M.A. degree in urban sociology and social policy from Columbia University.

Little is on numerous boards and foundations, including chair for the Center for Assessment and Policy Development, chair of the Southern Education Foundation, and as vice chair of the board of directors for Ways to Work. He is a member of the Atlanta Mayoral Board of Service, the Commerce Club Operating Board, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, and more.

Little’s leadership has earned him numerous accolades such as the recipient of the prestigious Centurion Award by Travelers Aid, is recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International, and in 2006, was recognized by The White House with the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships Award. He is also featured as a 2017 Most Notable Georgian by Georgia Trend Magazine, a 2016 Most Admired CEO by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Magazine’s 55 Most Powerful, “Who’s Who in Black Atlanta” publication and more.

Little is a native New Yorker and is married to Traci Gibson Little. He has two sons, Milton and Taylor, and three grandchildren, Joi, Miles, and Langston.