Michelle Gorham helps nonprofit leaders grow in confidence as fundraisers and storytellers. Trusted, positive, and supportive, she combines nearly 30 years of advancement experience with a genuine joy in coaching people toward success to strengthen philanthropy.
Michelle Gorham cannot imagine doing work that is not connected to a meaningful purpose. Helping nonprofits fulfill their missions challenges her mind, fills her heart, and gives her the opportunity to pay forward the coaching and support she received throughout her own career.
As a Senior Consultant with DBD Group, Michelle advises organizations on annual giving, campaign planning, donor-centered fundraising, development assessments, board engagement, leadership coaching, and endowment strategy. She especially enjoys watching people move from uncertainty to confidence, from asking what a capital campaign is to saying, 'I've got this.'
Before joining DBD Group, Michelle served as Chief Advancement Officer for the YMCA of Rock River Valley, where she coordinated a campaign that transformed a neighborhood church into a youth-focused YMCA. Her experience also includes serving as director of a healthcare system foundation, where she led fundraising efforts to enhance patient care through investments in facilities, equipment, and patient comfort. Earlier in her healthcare communications career, she helped share the extraordinary story of world-record-setting twins born 96 days apart in different hospitals, cities, and years. That experience reinforced the importance of preparation, adaptability, and compelling storytelling in connecting people to a mission.
Michelle holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Northern Illinois University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. She lives in Rockford, Illinois, with her husband and enjoys time with their two grown daughters.
Based in: Rockford, Illinois
Believes: Strong relationships are the foundation of great fundraising
Ask Michelle about: Donor engagement, philanthropy, or making custom t-shirts