Shelley Maddex founded The Birdsong Collaborative after more than 30 years leading fundraising at Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, UC Davis and the West Virginia University Foundation, where she personally wrote and secured more than $70 million in grants and gifts. She is based in Pittsburgh and works with organizations nationwide, with a particular depth in Appalachia.

She has built relationships with funders across the country, from national foundations and corporate giving programs to regional and community foundations, including those focused on Appalachia, 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.