Robin Merle
Strategic Consulting
Robin Merle CFRE has more than 35 years of experience in nonprofit philanthropy, specializing in education, healthcare, and social services. Robin is recognized for transforming fundraising operations at organizations to deliver increased revenue. She is the rare fundraising professional who has mastered and experienced the entire vertical of an organization, from chief development officer and rainmaker to board builder to campaign strategist and operations expert. In 2017, she was named the profession’s Woman of Achievement by Women in Development, New York.
Prior to joining The Development Consulting Group, LLC, Robin served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) for 20 years. She planned and led three consecutive campaigns, raising more than $500 million and attracting more than 145 volunteers. As a campaign director for Rutgers University, Robin was the architect and leader of the University’s first campaign for diversity and inclusion, which earned national recognition from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Most recently, Robin served as the Vice President and Executive Director of the John Jay College Foundation. Robin successfully led a turnaround program for fundraising and alumni relations that resulted in unprecedented support for underserved and first-generation students, as well as record levels of alumni engagement and mentorship. As the Executive Director of the John Jay College Foundation, Robin managed and built strong relationships with the Board of Trustees and helped to further diversify the board through strategic recruitment of new members.
Robin has served on the boards of three nonprofits in New York City, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals, New York City Chapter; the New York Women’s Agenda; and Women In Development, New York (WID). She also has been a three-time vice chair of National Philanthropy Day in New York.
Robin graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers College and went on to earn a Master of Arts from The Johns Hopkins University. Robin is the author of Involuntary Exit, A Woman’s Guide to Thriving After Being Fired (She Writes Press, 2021.) She is principal of Robin Merle Associates, LLC and founder of The Professional Guide, a resource that “helps women take action on professional experiences that aren’t up to their standards.” You can read her blog by visiting www.theprofessionalguide.com or follow her on LinkedIn Instagram, and Facebook.
You can also buy your copy of Involuntary Exit by clicking here.