We are pleased to announce our incoming Chief Advancement Officer Olivia Baumgartner. 

Baumgartner brings 15 years of experience in educational philanthropy and institutional advancement to her role at Poly which will begin in August 2025. She comes to Poly from the Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar, CA where she has been serving as Director of Development since 2016. Prior to that, she was Director of Development at Metropolitan Montessori School on the Upper West Side.

Under Baumgartner’s leadership at Harbor Day, the school doubled its annual fund and achieved record-setting parent participation in giving. Her accomplishments include producing the school’s highest grossing benefit event and leading one of the most ambitious and successful campaigns in K-8 independent school history, raising an extraordinary $53.89 million for “Always Home: The Campaign for Harbor Day,” that completely rebuilt their campus while school remained in session. Baumgartner has also earned recognition for her work, including CASE Circle of Excellence awards and a Telly Award for campaign communications.

Baumgartner graduated from McGill University with a B.A. in Humanistic Studies and earned her Certificate in Fundraising from New York University’s School of Professional Studies. She earned her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2018 and recently completed the Executive Leadership Program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Before entering educational advancement, she worked at Christie’s auction house in New York and the American Society of Hypertension.

Baumgartner’s career has had a purposeful trajectory since graduating from McGill. “I started at Christie’s in the American paintings department,” she recalled. “The transition into nonprofit work happened through my volunteer experiences with organizations like the Touch Foundation, which builds health systems in sub-Saharan Africa, and World Oceans Network. That volunteer work revealed my passion for mission-driven organizations and drew me to the nonprofit sector and then eventually, Metropolitan Montessori.”

Baumgartner’s most rewarding moments in advancement work are relationship-building and peer connections. What distinguishes her approach is the philosophy that every gift matters. “Development work is genuinely not about the dollar amount—it’s about the purpose and meaning behind each contribution,” she said. Dr. Noni Thomas López was impressed by Baumgartner’s vision for relationship-building and stewardship. “Olivia brings exceptional expertise in campaign management and donor relations and a deep understanding of independent school culture. More importantly, she can think big and small at the same time. Olivia isn’t afraid to swing for the fences while attending closely to connection and community.” 

Returning to New York after nearly a decade in California, Baumgartner is excited about this next chapter. “The opportunities that come available are few and far between when you’re looking at an organization like Poly,” she shared. “Working with Dr. Thomas López to build this next chapter for Poly is exciting.”

Baumgartner’s approach to advancement emphasizes understanding donor motivations. “I plan to spend my first months listening, learning, and personally thanking donors,” she said. “I look forward to being present in school life, spending time on both campuses, and uncovering the stories of joyful giving that already exist within the Poly community.”

Baumgartner will relocate to New York with her husband, Ludwig, and their children, Teddy and Beatrice. The family is excited to return to the East Coast, exploring the city’s restaurants, museums, and cultural offerings. An accomplished cook who studied at the French Culinary Institute, Baumgartner also enjoys gardening and traveling.