Meet Doug Taylor
As vice president for university advancement, Doug Taylor provides leadership to alumni and parent relations, advancement services, annual giving, and major gifts, while partnering with the efforts of the Seattle Pacific Foundation.
Doug Taylor is an experienced strategic fundraiser in nonprofits and higher education, and former director of SPU’s Department of Alumni and Parent Relations.
During his 30-year career, Doug has proven to be a philanthropic leader, visionary, and critical thinker who enjoys connecting data, ideas, and people to bring about positive change. He is known for his ability to build trust and support among diverse groups with divergent opinions, and is passionate about developing organizational strengths and facilitating investments in the context of relationships.
After 13 years as director of the alumni office and two years as a senior giving officer at SPU, Doug served as vice president for Institutional Advancement at Columbia Theological Seminary. There he partnered with the president and cabinet to accelerate annual giving and steward relationships with donors during the closing of a $77 million campaign while also leading high-performing teams in fundraising, communication, and church and alumni relations.
From 2015 to 2023, Doug served as senior area director for World Vision USA, working with a broad team to increase major gifts and manage a diverse portfolio of donors.
Throughout his career, he has remained a strong advocate for SPU. He will tell you his time as a student here was “transformational” and “deeply profound.”
Several members of Doug’s family are Seattle Pacific alumni, including both his daughters, Maggie ’19 and Fiona ’21, and his mother, Mary Lois Taylor ’61. His maternal grandmother, Lois Roth, wrote proposals for SPU in the 1970s for the School of Health Sciences.
Describing himself as a storyteller, and developing friendships with those he meets, Doug is also a relational leader and has maintained many longtime connections in our community.
Office staff