Senior Director of Development

As Senior Director of Development at Feeding San Diego, Ali Colbran oversees all aspects of fundraising and development, leading a team of 14 managing grants, corporate giving, individual giving, and development operations. She also oversees a personal portfolio of more than 100 individual, foundation, and corporate donors, that provide millions in private support to the organization. Over nine years at the organization, she has grown annual fundraising from $6.8 million to more than $20 million, tripling revenue amid unprecedented economic and operational challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and the longest-ever government shutdown. 

Ali’s development career began in the museum sector. She previously held roles at The New Children’s Museum in San Diego, and the California Association of Museums. She also played an instrumental role in launching and growing the Sacramento Children’s Museum, spearheading membership and development initiatives as the museum’s assistant director.  

Before joining Feeding San Diego in 2017, Ali worked as an associate director of development at the University of California, San Diego, managing a portfolio of 130 individuals and foundations with a primary focus on Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  

In recent years, she has focused on higher education in tandem with her work as a fundraising professional, earning an M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from University of San Diego in 2025. In addition to her M.A., Ali holds a B.A. in history of art and visual culture from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

She is now an instructor at the University of San Diego, teaching courses on resource development and philanthropy. She is also a member of the San Diego chapter of the Association of Fundraising Specialists. Ali previously served as a member of the customer advisory board at GoFundMe from September 2025 to May 2026.  

In her downtime, Ali enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, Lucy and Mollie at home in San Marcos or at the beach. Her favorite pastimes include traveling, enjoying good food, and engaging in friendly competition with her friends and family during trivia and game nights.