Liz Fowler

As Deputy Vice President for Development, Liz Fowler leads the global major gifts team. She is passionate about wildlife conservation and animal welfare, and about forging meaningful connections with people who want to make a difference.

Liz previously served as Executive Director for the Cleveland Zoological Society, raising $80 million during her tenure for programs and capital improvements. She advocated for federal and statewide legislation to protect wildlife, including ivory bans and limiting private ownership of big cats, as volunteer chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Immediately prior to joining IFAW, in her role as Assistant Vice President for Development at Barnard College, she led a team of 16 individual giving officers. 

With an undergraduate degree from Harvard in English and American Literature (A.B., magna cum laude), and advanced courses in nonprofit management, coaching and leadership, Liz brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her role at IFAW.

She is especially energized by IFAW’s unique business model, which combines the protection of individual animals with equally fierce commitments to landscape conservation, community outreach, long-term policy and all of us working together.