Nell Benn, LCSW
Nell Benn joined the Agape Youth & Family Center in January 2003. At that time, the After-School Program operated in a 2,000-square-foot space one day per week, serving 25 children and several senior citizens. Under Nell’s leadership, Agape now serves nearly 300 K–12 students, alumni, and senior citizens. The organization has grown into an innovative community center offering family engagement programs, a senior daytime program, in-school and after-school programming, eight weeks of summer camps, and a college and career/post-secondary program for high school students and alumni.
Additionally, Nell has implemented several community initiatives over the years, including the Back 2 School Bonanza, Great Backpack Giveaway, Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway, Extreme Bedroom Makeover, and Holiday Gift Store, which collectively serve more than 2,000 children and families in the broader Atlanta community each year.
Nell has led the programmatic and fiscal growth of Agape, increasing the annual budget from $200,000 to $4.2 million, launching an innovative in-school program model, and expanding the staff from two employees to 41 as of 2026. She also successfully led her team through an $8.5 million capital campaign to purchase and renovate the current community center in 2017 at 2210 Marietta Boulevard NW in Atlanta. The fundraising goal was exceeded and achieved in half the projected time, two years instead of four, allowing Agape to house all of its programs in one location.
In January 2018, Nell and her staff moved into the new 35,000-square-foot facility, which includes a seniors’ room, state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, gymnasium, recreation room, computer lab, library, multipurpose room, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) room, nine study rooms, an outdoor play area, and staff offices.
In 2022, Agape celebrated its 25th anniversary of service to northwest Atlanta with a $2.5 million campaign to celebrate the past and secure the future. More than $2.75 million was raised in one year. In 2024, Nell’s team launched Navigate, a college and career program designed to provide post-secondary mentoring and support to Agape alumni. In May 2026, Nell and her team will celebrate surpassing 100 high school graduates since 2009 with the eight students in the Class of 2026. In 2027, she and the team will lead the community in celebrating Agape’s 30th anniversary.
Nell holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Georgia Southern University, a master’s degree in social work from Clark Atlanta University, and a certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management from Harvard University. She is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Atlanta and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. In 2002, Nell was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes to the Georgia Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists, where she served for three years. She has also served on the Advisory Council for Georgia State University’s School of Social Work and Inspire Atlanta through the Atlanta Women’s Foundation. Nell currently serves on the Board of Directors for Julie’s Dream and is a member of the Rotary Club of Buckhead.
Nell has a deep passion for education and a commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of socioeconomic status. Her positive spirit, energy, and innovative leadership have guided Agape’s growth and impact. Nell resides in the Atlanta area with her husband and has two college-age children.
