Areas of Expertise

Michele is a recognized expert in planned giving with extensive experience helping individuals, families, non-profits, and professional advisors design and implement sophisticated philanthropic strategies. Her expertise includes charitable trusts, donor-advised funds, private foundations, IRA qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), charitable gift annuities, real estate gifts, life insurance, retirement assets, bequests, and endowment planning.

For more than 20 years, Michele has served as faculty for planned giving and philanthropic education programs through the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, helping train financial, legal, and non-profit professionals in advanced charitable planning techniques, philanthropic leadership, strategic grantmaking, and best practices.

A frequent speaker and educator, Michele is known for translating complex charitable giving concepts into practical strategies that align donors' philanthropic goals with their financial, tax, and legacy objectives. Her combination of technical expertise, real-world experience, and educational leadership makes her a trusted resource for organizations, donors, and advisory firms seeking innovative and effective charitable planning solutions.

Michele spent more than two decades advising high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, and business owners on complex trust, estate, fiduciary, and wealth planning matters. Her experience includes client advisory positions with JPMorgan Private Bank, Fifth Third Private Bank, and Key Private Bank, where she served as Senior Vice President and trusted advisor to affluent clients.

Throughout her career, Michele partnered closely with clients and their legal and tax advisors to evaluate estate plans, strengthen wealth transfer strategies, and navigate significant life and legacy events. She has extensive experience addressing trust administration, fiduciary governance, estate settlement, beneficiary matters, trust restructurings, and advanced tax planning issues.

Known for her ability to resolve complex challenges, Michele combines technical expertise with practical implementation experience to help families and advisors make informed decisions and accomplish goals across generations. Her fiduciary perspective and collaborative approach provide valuable insight for clients and organizations seeking clarity, confidence, and long-term planning success.

Our firm does not practice law, draft estate planning documents, or provide tax advice.

Michele brings a unique blend of fund raising, non-profit leadership, planned giving, governance, and wealth planning experience that enables her to help organizations strengthen donor relationships and increase philanthropic impact. Her career includes leadership and fund raising roles with organizations such as the Indiana University Foundation, Girl Scouts, and serving as CEO of a hospital system foundation.

For 17 years, Michele served as a national fund raising expert for Girl Scouts of the USA, helping boards and development teams strengthen fund raising strategies and donor engagement efforts. As the organization's planned giving subject matter expert, she supported the creation of hundreds of planned gifts within a nationwide planned giving campaign.

Michele has worked alongside executives, boards, donors, and professional advisors to advance strategic initiatives, enhance fund raising performance, and build sustainable cultures of philanthropy. Drawing on experience from both the non-profit and wealth management sectors, she provides practical guidance that helps organizations increase philanthropic support, deepen donor engagement, and achieve long-term mission success.

Helping organizations build stronger donor relationships is one of Michele's greatest strengths. Drawing on decades of experience in fund raising, charitable planning, and wealth management, she coaches organizations to develop donor-centered strategies that increase engagement, strengthen stewardship, and improve fund raising results.

Michele has led donor strategy initiatives for local and national organizations, helping development professionals, executives, and volunteer leaders identify opportunities, prioritize relationships, and move prospects toward greater philanthropic involvement. Her collaborative approach combines strategic expertise with practical implementation--creating actionable roadmaps that ultimately serve the donor’s goals and organization’s mission.

She helps organizations better understand donor motivations, align philanthropic interests with mission priorities, and integrate charitable planning opportunities into donor conversations. By blending relationship-building expertise with technical charitable planning knowledge, Michele helps organizations cultivate meaningful partnerships that inspire generosity, increase donor confidence, and support long-term fund raising growth. The result is stronger donor engagement, enhanced stewardship, and greater mission impact.

As a former foundation CEO, Michele led fund raising efforts supporting a $3 billion non-profit hospital system, achieving a 28% increase in annual fund raising revenue and a 12% increase in donor participation. Her leadership reflects a proven ability to strengthen donor engagement, drive organizational growth, and build high-performing philanthropic programs.

In addition to fund raising leadership, she oversaw endowment assets, grantmaking activities, governance initiatives, and strategic planning efforts. Her experience spans board engagement, fund raising operations, charitable gift planning, organizational development, and non-profit best practices.

Michele is a graduate of the Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute and has extensively served on many non-profit boards and committees, providing strategic guidance on governance, philanthropy, and organizational effectiveness. She understands the challenges facing non-profit leaders and works collaboratively with boards and executive teams to align mission, strategy, and stakeholder engagement.

Her practical leadership experience helps organizations strengthen performance, enhance accountability, and create sustainable pathways for growth and long-term impact.

Michele's career has been built on developing trusted relationships and delivering strategic solutions for individuals, families, non-profits, and institutions. She has managed client relationships representing more than $547 million in assets, including trusts, charitable gifts, endowments, investment portfolios, retirement accounts, and special needs trusts.

Known for her consultative approach, Michele helps clients and organizations navigate complex decisions while fostering strong, long-term partnerships. Her ability to combine technical expertise with relationship-focused service has made her a trusted advisor to clients, professional advisors, colleagues, and leadership.

Michele also has a demonstrated track record of business development success, consistently exceeding growth goals and earning national recognition for sales and relationship management performance. She increased book-of-business revenue while maintaining a strong focus on client satisfaction and retention.

Her experience demonstrates that sustainable growth is built on trust, strategic value, and exceptional client experience, making her a valuable partner for organizations seeking to strengthen relationships, expand opportunities, and drive meaningful results.