Brian Fikkert

Member Bio

Dr. Brian Fikkert is Professor of Economics and Community Development and the founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA. The Chalmers Center offers programs in community and economic development in the urban United States and throughout the developing world. The Center’s programs include the Global Training Network, designed to certify and mentor Trainers in holistic economic development strategies and support them in equipping others in local church and parachurch organizations; the Prayer Support Network, which invites friends of the ministry to pray specifically for its work; and the Global Leadership Network, a community of leaders committed to supporting and advocating microeconomic development.

Fikkert is co-author (with Steve Corbett) of the paradigm-shifting book When Helping Hurts, and through the Center’s Helping Without Hurting Network he leads one-day regional training seminars exploring the book’s themes. These sessions include defining poverty, discovering the role of the church, approaches to relief and development work, the role of short-term missions, and coaching in Asset-Based Development for individuals and communities.

Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He has been a consultant to the World Bank and is the author of articles in both academic and popular journals. Before coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland-College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.