BUSINESS CONSULTANT EXPERTS

Allison Erdle, Managing Partner

Allison Erdle is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the philanthropy sector, including the past 12 years dedicated to foundation management, grantmaking, and convening funders and nonprofits to foster collaborative impact. Since 2006, she has led her own consulting company, advising organizations across the business, nonprofit, and philanthropic landscape.

Allison’s business practice is rooted in a learning journey—one that seeks to identify gaps and develop innovative solutions to strengthen the philanthropic ecosystem. She is passionate about building bridges and relationships between stakeholders, supporting capacity-building, knowledge building, and working to undo inefficiencies in the sector - creating environments where both funders and nonprofits, and the communities they serve, can thrive.

Allison leverages her international MBA and financial acumen working with investment advisory firms and accounting for foundations, to understand the intersection of fiduciary, strategic and operational goals for wealth management and philanthropy. Allison brings strategic vision, practical expertise, and a solution oriented focus to every project.

When Allison Erdle isn’t busy shaking up the philanthropic world, she’s at home in Virginia with her husband Garrett and their two exuberant labradors. She’s a board member for the Washington Forrest Foundation, a grant reader for the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia, and a fierce advocate for community change—on and off the clock. In her downtime, you’ll find her cooking up a storm, hitting the ski slopes, playing tennis, taking long walks with the dogs, or embarking on new adventures with her kids and family.

Allison has spent the past 30 years rewriting the rules of philanthropy and development. Her journey began with a sports marketing group for individuals with disabilities, where she literally biked across continents to raise awareness—proving early on that she’s not afraid to go the distance for a cause. Next came a stint in public relations and development at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, where she learned how to coax even the busiest doctors into sharing their expertise and mastered the art of navigating the city’s legendary media jungle.

Her international journey took off with Turner Broadcasting in Argentina, where she made cross-cultural communication look easy (it helps to be fluent in Spanish). As second-in-command of a major capital campaign at Davidson College, Allison discovered that top-tier development is all about killer communications and bold leadership.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Allison revived the fundraising engine at the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), where she quickly picked up the DC lingo and leveraged support for international economic development—sometimes literally mucking through mudslides to get the job done. She’s partnered with global giants like Caterpillar, Cummins, Diageo, and Citibank, helping them become standout community partners and meet their giving goals, no matter how tough the terrain.

Known for asking the tough questions and never shying away from thinking differently, Allison brings a fearless, creative approach to every project. Using her vision and a bit of grit, she’s committed to finding new solutions and making a lasting impact for donors looking for change.