Michelle Gollapalli
Executive Vice President and 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.
Prior to working at FFTP, Michelle was Vice President of Development, Diversity & Inclusion at ECRI (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 (CAP) 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.
“This is more than a profession to me; it’s a calling. It is a distinct privilege for me to share the work that we do with our donors and show them how their philanthropic investment has a tremendous impact on enhancing the quality of life for the people we serve.”