Merrill Hall 119
A proud alumna of the school (MM ’13, Trombone Performance), Allison’s return to Jacobs marks a full-circle moment in her professional journey, one that began in the very same Development Office she will now lead.
A fourth-generation IU graduate, she spent time in Bloomington as a child and attended the College Audition Preparation camp at Jacobs in 2008. After completing her undergraduate degree in Euphonium Performance at the University of Alabama, her time at IU as a graduate student shaped her identity as both a musician and arts professional. Her first post-graduation work experience began at Jacobs, where she served as a Development office assistant and then Development Coordinator at the beginning of IU’s Bicentennial Campaign.
Allison brings more than a decade of successful fundraising experience in the arts and higher education, most recently serving as Director of Development, Arts & Culture at the Indiana University Foundation. In this role, she led comprehensive fundraising strategies for IU Libraries, IU Cinema, University Collections, IUMAA, and the African American Arts Institute, successfully raising major and planned gift support, and aligning donor passions with these unit’s priorities.
Prior to her work at IU, Allison spent five years working in various development roles at the Indianapolis Symphony, where she worked most closely with individual and major gift donors, and contributed to an $8M+ annual fundraising goal, more than double any other arts organization in the state of Indiana. She then spent two years at Butler University fundraising for the Jordan College of the Arts and Butler Arts & Events Center.
With her relationship-driven approach, Allison blends her deep knowledge of classical music with her skill in building meaningful, long-term connections with donors, alumni, and arts advocates. Her commitment to mission-driven work has consistently enhanced donor engagement and helped shape and grow sustainable fundraising pipelines across the institutions she has served.