Robin Callahan
Robin Callahan, CFRE, CEFL is the executive director of the National Schools Foundation Association, an organization dedicated to helping existing or emerging education foundations and their leaders expand the resources and opportunities available to students in preK-12 education. She is helping to create tools that aid in the growth of foundations including a Foundation Board Training Program, National Benchmarking Survey, Best Practice Task Force, Industry Leadership Council, Start Strong Kit for Emerging Foundation and more. She helped create NSFA’s National Superintendent of the Year Award to recognize a superintendent exemplifying the highest standards of vision, community engagement and foundation partnership.
Prior to joining NSFA, Callahan served as the executive director of the Issaquah Schools Foundation (WA). Beginning as a board member in 1998, Robin worked collaboratively with her staff, board and district to create a culture of philanthropy in which the entire community values and invests in public education. She has a unique insight into most aspects of school foundation management. In her 14-year tenure, the Foundation grew from one employee and one program to annual contributed revenue of over $1.8 mil. which funds numerous programs such as the VOICE Mentor Program, Cultural Bridges, Pre-K Summer School, STEM Initiatives, and a Healthy Youth Initiative (focused on mental health, drug and alcohol prevention and basic student needs).
She has served on numerous non-profit boards. A graduate of Leadership Eastside and the Immediate Past Board Chair, she is passionate about leadership and governance best practice. A frequent conference presenter, she has long mentored both non-profit leaders and their boards and facilitates strategic planning sessions to help other foundations hone their vision and develop a plan to achieve it.
She is deeply committed to the work of the National School Foundation Association and its members. As a dedicated advocate for students and public education, she believes school foundations are a highly effective conduit through which the community can transform lives. She invites you to join NSFA in building the foundations for America’s schools.
