Shelley Maddex founded The Birdsong Collaborative after more than 30 years leading fundraising at some of the country's most respected research universities — Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, UC Davis, and West Virginia University Foundation — where she personally wrote and secured more than $70 million in grants and gifts.

She's built relationships with the funders who matter most to organizations like yours: national foundations, regional philanthropies, and Appalachian-focused investors — including those committed to Appalachian communities, rural development, education, healthcare, and the arts. That network, combined with a proven ability to translate institutional priorities into compelling, funder-ready proposals, is what she brings to every client engagement.

When you work with The Birdsong Collaborative, you work directly with Shelley — not a junior associate or account manager. You get a committed senior partner who plugs into your existing team, adapts to your capacity, and treats your mission as if it were her own.