Alison Kolwaite
Chief Relationship Officer
As Arabella’s CRO, Alison oversees all communications, marketing, business development, and client relationships for the firm, helping to grow the organization’s reach and expand its clients’ impact. She brings more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, strategy development, organizational governance, and operational scaling. A passionate advocate and a committed partner, Alison supports her team and the larger firm to build and deepen impactful relationships with funders and changemakers across the social sector.
Most recently, Alison served as the chief external affairs officer for the National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership and Child First, a national organization that scales evidence-based programs addressing intergenerational poverty and adversity for young families. While there, she led a team of 45 staff members across a variety of functions to advance the organization’s strategic priorities. In this role, she was responsible for managing the organization’s public profile, seven-figure donor relationships, marketing and customer relations, and annual revenue budget. Alison also has worked as an independent consultant focused on providing governance, planning, communications, and scaling support to nonprofit leaders and organizations.
Earlier in her career, Alison held senior leadership roles at numerous organizations focused on education and the environment, including the Trust for Public Land, the Denver Public Schools Foundation, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Alison holds a BA in anthropology from Smith College and a Master of Organizational Development from American University. Outside of Arabella, she volunteers with Impact 100 Denver, a women’s collective making investments in nonprofits working toward transformational change, and as a member of George Washington Arboretum Grounds Committee. Alison lives in Denver, Colorado.