The College of Social Sciences and Public Policy is pleased to announce that Katherine Cline Ashler has joined our team as our new Senior Director of Development.
In this role, she will lead COSSPP’s fundraising efforts, manage the College’s development team, and work closely with our alumni and friends to connect them with opportunities to support student success and make transformational gifts that align with their personal interests and values.
“Katherine is an experienced and passionate fundraiser, and we are thrilled that she will be leading COSSPP’s donor relations and development efforts,” said Dean Tim Chapin, Ph.D. “This work is fundamental to the College’s success, as our donors’ philanthropy makes it possible for us to provide a range of opportunities for students that cannot be covered by State of Florida funds. I am confident that Katherine’s extensive experience in fundraising and donor relations will help our College achieve new levels of success and growth.”
The College relies on the support of our alumni and friends to continue our longstanding tradition of excellence. Our alumni and friends’ gifts of their time and treasure play an essential role in our ability to educate and train the next generation of leaders and provide students with exceptional social science and public policy education.
“I’m looking forward to connecting with our College’s successful and inspirational alumni and friends to help them bring their philanthropic visions to life,” Cline Ashler said.
A Tallahassee local and graduate of FSU (B.A. English ’00), she has a deep love for FSU and a wealth of community connections in the region.
Prior to joining the College, Cline Ashler served as the Vice President of Philanthropy at the Tallahassee Museum, a 52-acre outdoor history and science museum, where she oversaw the Division of Institutional Advancement and was responsible for marketing, membership, and fundraising.
“The Tallahassee Museum has been a Tallahassee institution for 67 years and I’m proud that I could help institute a philanthropic focus and connect donors with projects aligned with their interests and values,” she said.
During her 5 years there, Cline Ashler created a culture of philanthropy and developed various donor-centric giving programs. She was also instrumental in the Museum’s strategic planning process, which was instrumental in keeping membership rates and fundraising constant through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cline Ashler is returning to FSU as she previously worked for the FSU Foundation from 2010 to 2018. She served as Director of Development for the Division of Undergraduate Studies and The Graduate School from 2010-2014 and then exclusively for Undergraduate Studies afterward.
In her position with Undergraduate Studies, she created a successful major-giving program to support many important FSU units and initiatives, including the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement Program (CARE), Honors Program, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), Presidential Scholars, as well as general scholarships for undergraduate students. In her role with the Graduate School, she worked to fund initiatives such as the Fellows Society to provide exceptional graduate students with much-needed financial support.
“I loved it because of the variety of students I was raising funds for,” Cline Ashler said. “That’s what’s attractive to me here too: the breadth and depth of our programs, as well as the opportunities to fund scholarships that help attract and retain top students, and provide additional experiential learning and professional development opportunities, and more, all of which wouldn’t be possible without the help of our donors.”
To connect with Katherine Cline Ashler about ways you can give, please email her at kcline@foundation.fsu.edu or call 850-294-3343.
“Truly, I can’t thank our donors enough for their continued generosity over the years,” Dean Chapin said. “Your gifts make a tremendous impact on the lives of our students, faculty, and staff, and the communities they reach.”
For more information about the many ways to give back, please visit coss.fsu.edu/alumni/giving.