Strategic philanthropy counsel for transformational gifts, capital campaigns, and board engagement — rooted in the Roaring Fork Valley, reaching across the nation.
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⭐ Historic Achievement
$102 million raised in a single year — the largest fundraising year in The Pittsburgh Foundation’s history.
“Transformational giving begins with a relationship built on trust, shared values, and a clear vision for impact.”
With 20+ years leading philanthropy at one of the nation’s largest community foundations, Lindsay Aroesty brings executive-level strategy and deeply personal counsel to every engagement.
What We Do
Philanthropy services, expertly guided.
Whether you’re closing a transformational gift, launching a capital campaign, or building the culture of giving within your board, Lindsay Aroesty | Roaring Fork Philanthropy delivers customized strategy at every stage.
01
Planned Giving Strategy
Design and implement planned giving programs that build lasting pipelines of estate commitments — from donor cultivation to gift closure, including bequest societies, legacy recognition, and professional advisor engagement.
02
Major Gift Consulting
Strategic counsel on identifying, cultivating, and closing transformational gifts from six to eight figures. A proven track record of securing gifts from $10M to $40M, guiding your team through every step.
03
Capital Campaigns
End-to-end campaign leadership from feasibility studies and case development to quiet and public phases. We design campaigns that inspire community confidence and achieve — and exceed — ambitious goals.
04
Board Engagement & Development
Strengthen your board’s philanthropic culture through training, coaching, and facilitation. We help board members understand their role in fundraising and serve as confident ambassadors for your mission.
05
Fundraising Systems & Strategy
Audit and redesign your fundraising infrastructure — from CRM strategy and prospect management to donor communications — building systems that consistently deliver results year over year.
06
Professional Advisor Networks
Build and activate referral relationships with estate attorneys, financial advisors, and CPAs to create a steady flow of planned and major gift referrals that expand your reach into new donor communities.
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About Lindsay
A career built on transformational giving.
Lindsay Aroesty is a nationally recognized philanthropy executive with more than 20 years of leadership at The Pittsburgh Foundation — one of the nation’s largest community foundations with $1.5 billion in assets.
As Vice President of Development & Donor Services, Lindsay led a team of 16 professionals and achieved $102 million raised in her final year — the single largest fundraising year in the Foundation’s history.
Now based in the Roaring Fork Valley, Lindsay brings that executive-level expertise to organizations ready to elevate their philanthropic impact.
Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), 2017
Master of Public Management, Carnegie Mellon — Highest Distinction
Transformational giving is built on trust. We take time to understand your donors, your community, and your organization’s authentic identity before crafting any strategy.
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Locally Grounded, Nationally Experienced
Big-picture national expertise with the intimacy of the Roaring Fork Valley — a community long known for attracting visionary philanthropists and bold ideas.
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Systems That Flow
Like the rivers that define this valley, great philanthropy programs run year-round. We build durable systems — not one-time campaigns — that generate sustained momentum.
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Collaborative Partnership
We work alongside your staff and leadership — not above them. Our goal is to leave your organization stronger and more confident in its own fundraising voice.
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Equity & Accountability
Every engagement is guided by values: collaboration, racial justice, accountability, and trust. Philanthropy done well is a powerful tool for community-wide equity and lasting change.
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Courage to Dream Big
The gifts that change organizations — and communities — require courage. We help you make the ask, tell the story, and hold the vision until it becomes reality.
Get in Touch
Let’s talk about your next chapter.
Let’s set up a complimentary 30-minute introductory call to review your mission, fundraising goals, and current capabilities. I’ll share my initial thoughts, and together we’ll determine what the right next step looks like for your organization.
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Location228 Midland Point · Carbondale, CO 81623 Serving the Roaring Fork Valley & Nationally
A fundraiser, a strategist, a ski racer, a marathoner, a mother — someone who shows up fully for every person, every cause, every challenge.
🏘️ 20+ Years in Philanthropy⛳ 5 Marathons🏓 Alpine Ski Racer🏔 Roaring Fork Valley🎓 CMU — Highest Distinction
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“I have run five marathons, raced down mountains, and built a $300M+ planned giving pipeline from the ground up. I don’t wait for the conditions to be perfect — I do the work.”
The Story
Built for the long game.
Lindsay Aroesty didn’t stumble into philanthropy — she ran toward it. After graduating cum laude from Colby College, she launched her career at The Taft School, contributing to a $150 million capital campaign while conducting 100+ annual visits with high-net-worth alumni.
In 2010, she joined The Pittsburgh Foundation and never looked back. Over 15 years she rose through four roles to become Vice President of Development & Donor Services, leading a team of 16 across $1.5 billion in assets.
Her final year was the punctuation mark on a remarkable career: $102 million raised — the single largest fundraising year in the Foundation’s history. She stewarded the 2nd and 3rd largest estate gifts ever received and built a $300M+ planned giving pipeline.
Now Lindsay has brought her talents home to the Roaring Fork Valley, launching her own consulting practice to help organizations reach their own transformational moments.
$102M
Single-Year Record
$300M+
Pipeline Built
15
Years at Pittsburgh Foundation
$37.1M
Largest Gift Stewarded
16
Person Team Led
3,000
Component Funds
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Every meeting matters
📸Seated meeting
Building trust
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Lindsay Aroesty
Career
A track record of progressive impact.
2010–2025
The Pittsburgh Foundation — Pittsburgh, PA
Vice President, Development & Donor Services (promoted through 4 roles)
Led all development and donor services for one of the nation’s largest community foundations ($1.5B assets, 3,000 component funds). Drove $50M–$102M annually; achieved the largest single fundraising year in Foundation history. Stewarded the 2nd and 3rd largest estate gifts ever received. Built $300M+ planned giving pipeline. Directed custom Salesforce CRM build. Oversaw $45M community foundation integration.
2004–2010
The Taft School — Watertown, CT
Assistant Director of Development / Major Gift Officer
Contributed to a $150M capital campaign. Conducted 100+ annual visits with high-net-worth alumni. Managed a portfolio of 500+ prospects.
2003–2004
Premier Financial Services — Woodbury, CT
Sales Associate
Early career experience in financial services that laid the groundwork for deep fluency working with financial advisors, estate attorneys, and high-net-worth individuals.
Education
Always learning. Always leading.
Carnegie Mellon University
Master of Public Management (MPM), 2014
⭐ Highest Distinction — GPA 3.86
Colby College
B.A. History, Education Minor, 2003
Cum Laude
The Taft School
Secondary Education, 1999
Certifications
Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®)
American College, 2017
The gold standard in philanthropic advising
21/64 Certified Trainer
Next-Gen & Multigenerational Philanthropy, 2015
US Ski & Snowboard Association
Level 100 Alpine Race Instructor, 2021
Because she doesn’t do anything halfway
National Conference Speaker
Fundraising Strategy, Campaigns & Planned Giving
Beyond the Work
The person behind the professional.
Lindsay is the kind of person who signs up for a marathon not because it’s easy, but because it isn’t. She has crossed five finish lines — and found that the same qualities that carry you through mile 22 are the ones that close a $37 million estate gift: patience, conviction, and the refusal to quit.
On the slopes, she has earned her USSA Level 100 Alpine Race Instructor certification, bringing the same precision to the gates that she brings to a campaign strategy. Moving to the Roaring Fork Valley was a homecoming for the person she’s always been.
At the center of it all is her family — full of people she loves, places that restore her, and pursuits that remind her what it means to push past limits. That fullness is what makes her counsel so grounded.
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Five Marathons
Mile 22 teaches you more about resilience than any boardroom. Lindsay has finished five and is not done yet.
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Alpine Ski Racing
A USSA-certified alpine race instructor who finds the same thrill in a clean race line as in a perfectly executed campaign close.
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The Roaring Fork Valley
Carbondale is home — a community of grit, beauty, and big-hearted people that inspires everything Lindsay does.
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Family First
The reason for all of it. Lindsay brings the same fierce loyalty to her family that she brings to every donor relationship she’s ever built.
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The Aroesty family — Nantucket
Ready to work together?
Whether your organization is at the beginning of a campaign or the cusp of something transformational — let’s talk.
