Staff & Board

Abby Eelsen

Vice President, Development and Advancement

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As the Vice President of Development and Advancement, Abby Eelsen drives the strategy and execution of StriveTogether’s development and revenue growth efforts — cultivating new and existing funders, creating funder collaboratives and increasing earned revenue through programmatic resources and the Training Hub. In her role, Abby leads efforts to strengthen and expand philanthropic partnerships, deepen engagement with current and prospective investors, and help build the long-term sustainability needed to advance StriveTogether’s mission.

Abby brings more than 20 years of public education and nonprofit leadership experience, and a deep understanding of the systems, partnerships and investments required to improve outcomes for children and families. Her career began in the classroom as a teacher for seven years before moving into leadership roles within Dallas Independent School District’s central office. Most recently, she spent eight years at The Commit Partnership, one of the nation’s leading collective impact organizations and a longtime StriveTogether network partner, where she helped lead efforts to improve educational and economic outcomes in Dallas and across Texas through fundraising efforts and organizational operations.  
 
Abby holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Education from Angelo State University and earned her Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. She is based in Dallas, Texas, where she lives with her husband and daughter.