About Michelle Sherbun

An Artist in a Suit

In addition to being an award-winning fundraiser and widely respected leadership coach, Michelle is a classically trained vocalist and actor.

Surprised? You’re not alone! But consider this…

Performers develop their skills so they can share the beauty and power of their voices. But the best singers and actors also listen. Carefully. They listen to the stories told by composers and playwrights … to the words of those they share the stage with … to the responses of their audience. Then they bring it all together to create something new and wonderful and compelling. 

Michelle doesn’t sing much outside of the shower these days, but she still uses the lessons she learned as a performer. 

She brings decades of training and experience to her work in fundraising, leadership development, and coaching. And through it all, she listens. She taps the wisdom that every client brings to the table. She encourages individuals and organizations to become their best selves. With a contagious smile, boundless support, and a fierce dedication to excellence, she helps clients achieve more than they ever dreamed possible. 

With the soul of an artist and the fearlessness of an activist, Michelle supports transformative leaders … and believes every person has the capacity to become one.

Michelle is…

  • Past president of the Chicago chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association of Philanthropic Counsel, Women in the Development Profession, Community Memorial Foundation Capacity Building Initiative Advisory Board, and the International Coaching Federation and its Chicago chapter

  • An AFP Chicago’s Benjamin Franklin Award recipient for contributions to the fundraising profession (2016)

  • An AFP Chicago’s President’s Award recipient for contributions to the AFP Chicago Chapter (2017)

  • A leader of numerous management and fund development workshops

  • An accredited leadership transformation coach and certified TeamClock consultant

  • A trained facilitator in the ToP Method (the Technology of Participation)

  • A published writer and executive contributor to Brainz Magazine, accomplished speaker, and sought-after trainer

Credentials and Affiliations

What Clients Are Saying About Michelle’s Leadership Coaching

  • BARBARA CARNEY, Development Director, Garfield Park Conservatory

    “

    Michelle is a wonderfully talented, insightful advisor who understands the complex realities of the workplace and the fragility and strength of the human heart. Most of all, she is open, honest and helps others find answers to the sometimes hard to ask—and frequently harder to answer— questions that we all end up asking ourselves at various points in our personal and professional lives.

    ”

  • KATE BOUSUM, CFRE, Director of Advancement Regarding the Sister Wisdom Mastermind:

    “

    On another note, thank you for last night. I love this group! These women are incredible, truly and not only do they inspire me and showcase the best of our profession, but they are real and authentic and raw and honest and showing me every month that my version of harried and stressed isn’t unusual or strange, but everyone is struggling with their challenges. AND, I think my biggest learning, that there are challenges, unique and hard and wonderful, at every single stage. Thank you for allowing me to be part of it.

    ”

  • MARION CAMERON, CEO, Sipi Metals

    “

    We engaged Michelle to help build better cohesion of purpose amongst our leadership team. We also wanted to encourage the expression of different perspectives and opinions without the fear of ending in deadlock. Michelle has very good skills in developing trust and rapport across a multitude of personalities. Through individual and group interactions, she helped illuminate where dysfunctionality needed to be addressed head-on. She has also helped strengthen the team’s sense of accountability. We feel the work she has done and continues to do is greatly contributing to our team’s growth and success.

    ”

  • DINA DONOHUE, Management Consultant

    “

    Michelle is highly skilled in guiding and coaching executive-level team members. Excelling in deep listening and conversational intelligence, she coached our leaders to improve their leadership, self-confidence, and self-awareness - guiding us toward better thinking, decision-making and business performance.

    “

  • GEORGE ABBOTT, President and CEO, Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.

    “

    Michelle Sherbun is insightful, experienced and positive. She is focused, driven and dedicated. Her energy and awareness, along with her vision and collaborative style will prove motivating and empowering to anyone seeking guidance, mentoring or coaching. I have had the pleasure of working with Michelle and I can attest that she is an impressive and accomplished leader. You will find her refreshing, as she is not afraid to use nontraditional techniques to find creative solutions to just about any problem confronting an organization, its board and its executive leadership.

    “

  • JOE SKVARA, President, JS Consulting

    “

    Michelle is a truly remarkable colleague who has a special ability to understand the needs of organizations and how to communicate them to the philanthropic community. Her coaching experiences provide a welcome bonus for working with nonprofit and other executive leaders.

    “