The new era of Sundance continues. As the festival readies for its first year in Boulder, Colo., another new executive has joined the ranks.
The Sundance Institute has appointed Allison Graff-Weisner as its new Chief Development Officer (CDO). Described as a leader with over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit, education and cultural sectors, Graff-Weisner will “lead the transformation of the Institute’s contributed revenue functions and spearhead a significant capital raising campaign associated with the organization’s upcoming transition to Boulder, Colorado,” according to the official release.
Reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer David Linde, Graff-Weisner will serve on the executive leadership team, where she will be responsible for setting the vision and strategy to expand the Institute’s national and global donor base. She is tasked with leading a bold, multi-year strategy to exceed the Institute’s annual goal for operations, while simultaneously planning for multi-stage capital and endowment campaigns.
“Allison is exactly the kind of transformative leader the Sundance Institute needs at this pivotal moment in our history,” Linde said in a statement. “Her proven track record of scaling organizations, combined with her deep experience in the cultural and educational sectors, makes her uniquely qualified to lead our development efforts. As we prepare for our transition to Boulder and look to expand our support for independent artists globally, Allison’s ability to build values-aligned partnerships will be instrumental to our sustainable growth and future success.”
Graff-Weisner joins the Sundance Institute from Otis College of Art and Design, where she served as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement. There, “she has led advancement across all areas of giving, significantly growing scholarships for a highly diverse student body and establishing strategic industry and philanthropic partnerships.” She also served as the Deputy Director of External Affairs at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, where she “helped lay the foundation for the museum’s launch across contributed revenue, membership, special events and corporate engagement.”
As CDO, Graff-Weisner will “focus on identifying new revenue opportunities and engaging historically underrepresented and emerging philanthropic communities to champion culturally relevant donor engagement practices. Her extensive background in building high-performing development functions will directly support the Sundance Institute’s core mission to champion creative expression and foster inclusive storytelling,” according to the release.
“I am incredibly honored to join the Sundance Institute, an organization whose commitment to artistic risk-taking and independent voices has profoundly shaped global culture,” Graff-Weisner said. “Robert Redford’s founding principles of supporting artists outside traditional systems of power resonate deeply with me. I look forward to working with David, the Board of Trustees, and the incredibly talented Institute team to build an innovative fundraising model that ensures bold, original storytelling continues to thrive for generations to come.”
Earlier in her career, Graff-Weisner spent over 18 years at City Year in various executive capacities, ultimately serving as the Chief Development and Engagement Officer. During her tenure, she spearheaded private sector fundraising efforts, managing a $20 million national budget, and co-designed a $225 million campaign in support of City Year’s 30th Anniversary. She also served as the Founding Executive Director of City Year Los Angeles, growing the site to an annual budget of $12 million and raising $50 million cumulatively.
Graff-Weisner holds a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, where she was awarded the John F. Kennedy Fellowship and Women’s Leadership Fellowship, and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of California at Berkeley.
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