Robin launched The Callahan Collaborative in 2022 as the next step in her calling to make the world more equitable and just for all. For more than 25 years she has been in nonprofit leadership, serving in a variety of staff and volunteer roles which has provided her with unique insights, empathy for the challenges faced by other nonprofit leaders, and a wide array of tools and resources to help nonprofits and their leaders thrive. She pulls from a wealth of professional experiences and successes to facilitate consensus-based strategic planning.
She recently served as the VP of Philanthropic Services for Greater Tacoma Community Foundation where she led a team focused on increasing philanthropic impact through planned giving and family philanthropy, as well as working with nonprofits to establish or grow their endowments. She led the 2020 Transfer of Wealth study for Pierce County, cementing her belief in and commitment to helping other nonprofits develop a strong planned giving program.
Robin led the National Schools Foundation Association (now the National Association of Education Foundations), an organization dedicated to ensuring that students in K-12 education have equitable access to educational opportunities. A national leader in this nonprofit sector, Robin led the development of tools and resources to strengthen education foundations. To better understand the challenges and opportunities member organizations were experiencing, she facilitated board and staff retreats, coached boards and executive directors, and presented workshops nationally and regionally on governance and resource development issues.
She served as the Executive Director of the Issaquah Schools Foundation (WA) for 16 years. Beginning as a board member of an all-volunteer board 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.
Robin has served on numerous non-profit boards including Wellspring Family Services, the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, Leadership Eastside, and the Gig Harbor Rotary Foundation, and is the incoming President of the Gig Harbor Rotary Club. She was a founding member and co-convenor of both the Washington Public Schools Foundation Network and the Issaquah Nourishing Network. A Past Board Chair and graduate of Leadership Eastside, she is committed to the principles of adaptive leadership. A frequent and inspiring conference presenter, she has long mentored both nonprofit leaders and their boards in honing their vision and developing a plan to achieve it.