Alli Lambert Joins Colby as Chief Development Officer
She has worked in all aspects of higher-education fundraising during her career
Colby announces the appointment of higher-education fundraising leader Alli Lambert as chief development officer. She brings nearly 20 years of experience leading small colleges and large universities to exceed their fundraising goals.
She began her work at the College Feb. 27.
“We are excited to welcome Alli to the Colby community,” said Matt Proto, vice president and chief institutional advancement officer. “She has a deep understanding of vision and values, and her proven record of success will help Colby in all areas of fundraising and development.”
Working in partnership with other senior leaders, Lambert will develop the strategy and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Advancement team. She will provide strategic leadership, work closely with alumni, families, and friends, and work to create exceptional experiences for students, faculty, and staff through philanthropy as part of the Dare Northward campaign.
Prior to joining Colby, Lambert served as vice president and assistant vice president for development at the University of Vermont Foundation, which is affiliated with the university and focused on providing opportunities for engagement and philanthropy. There, as a member of the senior leadership team, she helped direct annual and campaign-specific fundraising efforts. Lambert’s expertise and team-leadership skills were integral to the UVM Foundation’s campaigns for student success and breakthrough research.
Lambert and her team helped the UVM Foundation achieve one of its most successful fundraising years during the last fiscal year, with nearly $120 million for a range of initiatives, including endowed professorships in each school and college across campus, new athletics facilities, and ongoing efforts to create diverse, inclusive, and equitable communities that encourage exceptional experiences for students, faculty, and staff.
During the past 3½ years, she oversaw campaigns that also raised close to $100 million for internships, scholarships, and student programs, and another $110 million for research, elevating the university’s national standing.
“Through its successful philanthropy, Colby is changing lives and making the liberal arts experience more relevant in today’s world.”
Alli Lambert, Chief Development Officer
She has worked in all levels of fundraising at public and private colleges, including as senior director of regional development for the East Coast for the University of California, Riverside. In that position, she recruited, trained, and managed a regional team of gift officers. Lambert spent the early part of her career at Bates College in Lewiston, beginning as coordinator for alumni and parent engagement and being promoted to director of parent giving, leadership gift officer, director of leadership giving for the Bates Fund, and director of parent engagement and development. Under her leadership, parental giving increased by more than one-third in a two-year period, and she created a program to encourage donations from young alumni.
She was eager to return to Maine and lead the development team at Colby as it moves into the next phase of its historic Dare Northward campaign. “Through its successful philanthropy, Colby is changing lives and making the liberal arts experience more relevant in today’s world,” Lambert said. “The Dare Northward campaign has positioned the College as a place where students, faculty, and staff are drawn to the energy and excitement surrounding it. I am very excited to join that effort.”
Having worked in a variety of roles in public and private institutions large and small, Lambert said she understands what it takes to succeed individually and as a team. “I started from the ground up, and that has given me a perspective of every layer of an organization. I know how it takes everyone performing their role to be a part of success,” she said.
