California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is pleased to announce that Meredith Robbins has been appointed Senior Vice President of Advancement. Arriving at CalArts in 2019, Robbins served as Vice President of Development and in this position worked with the Advancement team to position the Institute for sustained growth in all areas of fundraising and alumni engagement. Robbins’ promotion recognizes her proven leadership in CalArts’ philanthropic efforts.
“As you know, cultivating increased financial support is critical to the success of the Institute, our students, and our community,” said CalArts’ President Ravi Rajan. “Fostering greater sources for contributed income and earned revenue are likewise important to strengthening our overall work and institutional infrastructure. I’m deeply grateful that Meredith has agreed to commit her talents and expertise in service of our community, our future, and our shared mission.”
Robbins’ track record reads as a how-to for securing philanthropic relationships in the arts, education, and social service. She arrived at CalArts from Caltech, where she was Director of Development and led a team of high-achieving fundraisers. She also worked in key fundraising roles at the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center and Miller Theater at Columbia University. She also consulted for dozens of artist- and founder-led nonprofits through the fundraising firm David Bury & Associates, among other experiences.
A Certified Specialist in Planned Giving, she holds a Master of Fine Arts in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from the City University of New York-Brooklyn College and undergraduate degrees in theater and English from Hartwick College.
