Lauren Forbis

As Director of Annual Giving, Lauren Forbis ’15 leads the team dedicated to reaching Elon University's annual fundraising and participation goals. She oversees a dynamic team that engages alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of Elon in fostering a lifelong culture of giving. Lauren also managers operations for the Elon Society, the University's leadership annual giving society that recognizes donors contributing $1,500 or more annually.

Lauren graduated from Elon University in 2015 with a B.A. in Human Service Studies. During her time as a student, she was deeply involved in campus organizations and nonprofit work throughout Alamance County. She served as a University Guide for the Office of Admissions and embraced Elon's global learning opportunities by studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.

An active alumna, Lauren has remained closely connected to Elon since graduation. Her volunteer contributions include serving as an alumni peer agent, admissions ambassador, Class of 2015 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend volunteer, and social media ambassador. Before rejoining Elon professionally in 2021 as an Assistant Director of Annual Giving, she worked with three nonprofits in Alamance and Guilford counties, gaining invaluable experience in community engagement and philanthropy.

Lauren earned her Master of Public Affairs (MPA) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2019. She is a 2021 graduate of Leadership Greensboro, where she later served as an elected Program Chair. That same year, she completed her tenure on the Town of Gibsonville Planning Board and was honored by the Triad Business Journal as a "20 in Their 20s" award recipient. In 2023, Lauren was recognized with Elon University's inaugural Phoenix Collaboration Award.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, Sam, their daughter, Leona, and their dogs, Wallie and Berkley. An avid reader, she’s always ready to dive into her next book on her Kindle. She is proud to call Elon home and cheers on the Phoenix every chance she gets!