Director of Legacy Giving, Music Academy of the West

Jill Rode, CFRE, has more than 30 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit management. She has raised millions of dollars for a variety of organizations, including Girl Scouts, Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Zoo, American Red Cross, and the YMCA. She currently serves as the Director of Legacy Giving at the Music Academy, one of the nation's preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classically trained musicians.

Jill is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and has been recognized as an AFP Fundraiser of the Year in 2004. She has served as President of the Junior League of Santa Barbara and President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter. She is currently the Vice Chair of the SBCGP and serves as the co-chair of the Western Regional Planned Giving Conference and a board member of LACGP.

She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and is mom to two college age daughters (UC Berkeley and UC San Diego). In her spare time she volunteers for Dream Foundation's Flower Empower program and was recognized as the 2021 Volunteer of the Year and for the Planned Parenthood Book Sale.