Amy Allen has been nurtured by nature her entire life. She grew up in Austin, Texas, and has enjoyed an outdoor lifestyle with her family and friends since she was a young girl. Her youthful adventures took her from camping and hiking across Texas to skiing in Colorado and backpacking across Europe. Today she and her husband of 30 years and their two daughters enjoy all that the Texas outdoors have to offer, from fishing in coastal bays to hunting and enjoying a campfire at their family cabin in the Hill Country.
Her early career was likewise adventurous, ranging from working in a law firm in her teens to a gig once as a deckhand on a deep-sea fishing boat. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech, she worked in restaurant and hotel management helping launch a resort hotel in Beaver Creek, Colorado, then transitioned to real estate marketing, and later ran her own concierge company for families with second homes in Colorado. It turns out her adventurous resume set her up perfectly for what would be the next three decades of her work life.
“A neighbor asked me if I had ever heard of Austin Community Foundation,” recalled Amy. “They had no staff and were hiring. They needed someone who could do a little bit of everything, from answering the phone to marketing, computers, and talking to potential donors.”
Amy signed on with Austin Community Foundation (ACF) in 1992, and during her 31-year tenure, ACF grew from 85 fundholders and $5.3 million in assets to over 1,300 fundholders and $447 million in assets. Most recently, Amy served as the Senior Philanthropic Officer where she led ACF’s Planned Giving Program, providing best-in-class donor services to help donors meet their philanthropic goals.
As she considered winding down her decades-long ACF career, she pondered her next steps. A conversation with former Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director Carter Smith led her to Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF). She signed on in early February 2024 as TPWF’s new Philanthropy and Stewardship Officer, where she will help steward TPWF donors and manage the planned giving program.
“I find my joy in connecting with people,” said Amy. “I love talking to people and sharing good things about how they can give back in ways that are meaningful to them. I look forward to talking with folks about how they can leave their own wild legacy while supporting the good work of Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.”
As she embarks on the next stage of her career, Amy looks forward to sharing her passion for what nurtures her soul.
“I love the wild things and wild places in Texas, and I can’t wait to take everything I’ve learned in Austin to a broader statewide stage. There’s a lot of passion for conservation philanthropy across Texas, and I look forward to helping make a difference for future generations of Texans.”
Consider a planned gift to TPWF today! Contact Amy Allen at 512-694-9782 or aallen@tpwf.org to learn how you can make TPWF part of your legacy.
