Michelle Gollapalli

EVP & Chief Development Officer

Michelle Gollapalli, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, is responsible for leading Food For The Poor’s (FFTP) Major Gifts, Donor Relations, Foundations, Planned Giving, and Business Development departments.

Michelle Joined FFTP in 2023 with more than 25 years of experience as a fundraising executive at the regional, national, and international level. Michelle Joined FFTP in 2023 with more than 25 years of experience as a fundraising executive at the regional, national, and international level.

Prior to working at FFTP, Michelle was Vice President of Development, Diversity & Inclusion at Emergency Care Research Institute in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., where she oversaw the creation and building of a framework for comprehensive fundraising and diversity and inclusion strategies for the patient safety organization.

Michelle’s background also includes working as Vice President of Development, Executive Director at the Kennedy Health Care Foundation in Voorhees, N.J.; Chief Development Officer at Bancroft in Cherry Hill, N.J.; Vice President of Philanthropy at Presby’s Inspired Life in Lafayette Hill, Pa.; and Associate Director, Principal & Major Gifts at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago.

Born and raised in India, Michelle is a graduate of Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, India, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors. She also holds a Master of Business Administration, with concentration in Marketing, from Mount Carmel Institute of Management in Bangalore, and has both the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy certifications. She is also a Master Trainer for the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Michelle lives in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., with her son, daughter, and a thoroughly spoiled West Highland Terrier.