Kelsey Dale was appointed to lead the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) Advancement Department as the Vice President of Advancement in June 2022. She joined the Institute in September 2016 as Deputy Director of Advancement, in which she co-led record philanthropic growth at the Institute. As Vice President of Advancement, Kelsey continues to work very closely with the Institute’s Board of Directors and oversee departmental operations, programs, annual giving, and special events, while leading the Institute’s relationships with elite philanthropic partners and donors to secure private support for the Institute’s research. Kelsey is also responsible for overseeing the Institute’s planned giving program and working with LJI’s Planned Giving Advisory Council.
Prior to joining LJI, Kelsey worked in the fundraising and donor relations field for more than nine years at various San Diego organizations with a range of foci from higher-education, to global health and medical research. Early in her career she also served as an AmeriCorps Service Member in Seattle, WA.
She is an Active Member with ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) San Diego, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization founded and administered by women who support scientific advancement in STEM areas to address the national need for scientists by providing funding for the country’s brightest U.S. graduate Scholars. She is also a current member and has served on the Board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) – San Diego Chapter, and is also a member of the North County Philanthropy Council and corporate member of the La Jolla Rotary Club.
Kelsey earned a B.A. in History and graduated with Honors from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. She lives in Carlsbad with her husband and two daughters.
