Our People
Jennifer Burland Adams
Jennifer Burland Adams has been involved in philanthropy since she was a child, growing up in Bermuda. What started out as a passion to improve the lives of others as a volunteer in grade school, university and in her 20s, developed into a career as a professional fundraiser. Jennifer believes strongly that fundraisers are providing donors with opportunities to invest in meaningful opportunities, and that fundraising must be efficient and effective, whilst always being conducted in an ethical manner. She also believes there needs to be a shift away from reactionary charity by donors to strategic philanthropy, focused on impact and change. These two passions, on either side of the philanthropy equation, are the focus of Wavecrest.
Jennifer has a BA from McGill and an MBA from the University of Colorado. She was the first, and currently only, person in Bermuda to earn the CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) designation and was the founding president of the Bermuda Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, on a grantmaking committee of the largest foundation in Bermuda and is a former Charities Commissioner. She was a member of the first cohort to receive a certificate in the Psychology of Philanthropy at the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy in the UK, and was a member of the second cohort of Ignite Bermuda.
Katie Bennett
Katie brings more than ten years of experience in museum development and nonprofit advancement to Wavecrest. As Advancement Director at the National Museum of Bermuda (NMB), she played a key role in raising $10 million through the “Future of History” campaign, helping to secure the Museum’s place as a vital part of Bermuda’s cultural and educational landscape.
She holds a BA in Archaeology from Hamilton College and an MA in Museum Anthropology from Columbia University, where her thesis focused on NMB’s evolution into a national institution. Katie has held development roles at the Museum of the City of New York, the Vermont Historical Society, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. She also worked with American Friends groups and private family foundation boards at GHS Philanthropy Management in New York City.
Outside of museum work, Katie served as Co-President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Bermuda Chapter for four years, advocating for ethical practices and professional growth across the nonprofit sector. She remains a supportive member of AFP Bermuda.
At Wavecrest, Katie is excited to continue to shift philanthropy in Bermuda, from a reactive model to a more strategic, long-term approach. Working alongside Jennifer, she’s focused on strengthening Bermuda’s third sector—helping essential organisations achieve the greatest impact across the Island.