Hi, I’m Michelle.
I work with nonprofits that are building their fundraising programs, taking on new opportunities, or need additional leadership and capacity to move their priorities forward.
Through fractional staffing and consulting engagements, I work alongside nonprofit leaders, staff, and boards to strengthen fundraising, provide organizational leadership, develop new opportunities, manage projects, and build the systems that support sustainable growth.
Sometimes that means building a fundraising program from the ground up. Sometimes it means preparing for a capital campaign, developing grants, strengthening donor relationships, or taking on a project that the existing team doesn't have the capacity to manage. I also work with organizations as a fractional leader, providing ongoing organizational leadership alongside their staff and board.
My experience spans more than 15 years and includes work with organizations in the arts, social services, healthcare, disaster relief, education, and other community-focused fields. I've worked with both emerging organizations and established nonprofits, and I enjoy figuring out what an organization needs next—and helping make it happen.
Whether an organization needs ongoing fractional support or help with a specific initiative, I bring experience, flexibility, and a collaborative approach to the work.
Experience & Background
I'm Michelle Ellison, CFRE, MPA, a nonprofit consultant and fundraising professional with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations build capacity, strengthen fundraising, and turn ideas into action.
My career began in the arts, where I worked with museums, galleries, arts organizations, and cultural institutions in Pennsylvania and New York. That experience gave me an early appreciation for the relationship between mission, community, and philanthropy, and ultimately led me into broader nonprofit development and management.
Today, I work with nonprofits across a range of sectors, including the arts, social services, healthcare, disaster relief, education, veteran-focused organizations, and community initiatives. Through my consulting practice, I've worked fractionally and on a contract basis with 14 nonprofits and a government initiative, providing support in areas including fundraising strategy, grant development, capital campaign planning, business development, project management, community engagement, and organizational systems.
Throughout my career, I've helped organizations establish fundraising infrastructure, develop donor relationships, secure government and foundation funding, plan capital campaigns, and build partnerships that expand their reach. I've also helped organizations strengthen their operations, develop new programs, and create the systems needed to support growth.
I hold a Master of Public Administration from Kutztown University, a BA in Arts Management with a focus in Art History from Chatham University, and a Certificate in Art Business from Sotheby's Institute of Art in New York. I am also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).
I enjoy working with organizations that are building something, whether that's a fundraising program, a new initiative, a capital campaign, or the infrastructure needed to support the next stage of growth.