Dawn Marie Vout joined the Basel Institute on Governance in September 2025 as Senior Specialist, Business Development.

In this role, she supports the development and implementation of a business development strategy that aligns with the Institute’s strategic priorities and responds to the evolving fundraising landscape. Her work focuses on engaging both new and existing funding partners to secure long-term support and foster a sustainable business model for the Institute.

Dawn brings over 20 years of experience in donor engagement, strategic fundraising and communications for international NGOs across the humanitarian, development and conservation sectors.

Prior to joining the Basel Institute, she served as Head of External Relations at the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) of the Norwegian Refugee Council. There, she led senior-level representation, strategy development and fundraising efforts.

Her career has also included nearly a decade of field-based experience in fragile and post-conflict settings, including Peru, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Sri Lanka.

Dawn holds a Master of Arts in International Development from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies.