Elizabeth Kolb Farr

Elizabeth Kolb Farr, Vice President, serves the firm’s independent school and higher education clients, deploying her nearly two decades of frontline fundraising and staff management experience. She possesses particular expertise in sustaining and accelerating annual giving, instituting and orchestrating high-performance major gifts programs, preparing for and executing capital campaigns, and training staff and volunteers in fundraising best practice.

Liz most recently served as Associate Director of Development for Alumni Engagement at The Shipley School, an independent coed day school in Bryn Mawr, PA. In this position, she played a critical role in closing a successful $50 million capital campaign, while directing the planned giving program and leading a team responsible for engagement and solicitation of over 4,500 alumni. She was a two-time recipient of the school’s Trustee Award for Excellence.

An independent school alumna herself, Liz began her career as an upper school English teacher at both boarding and day schools, followed by advancement roles at elementary and K-12 schools in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, and New York; of both single-sex and coed student bodies; with religious and non-sectarian affiliations; and from 200 to more than 1,000 students. In all of these roles, Liz’s dedication to excellence resulted in demonstrable gains in fundraising performance.

Liz recently concluded a term as President of the Junior League of Philadelphia, where she was a five-time member of the Board of Directors, chaired the Annual Fund twice, and co-chaired the League’s first-ever capital campaign. She is also an active member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), having served on the Planning Committee of three CASE/NAIS Conferences. A sought-after speaker, Liz has presented to groups of both professionals and volunteers assembled by the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, the Association of Independent Maryland Schools, the Association of Junior Leagues International, CASE, the Junior League of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Orchard Project, and The Swain School.

Liz holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Vassar College and lives in South Kent, CT with her husband, Chris.