The Birdsong Collaborative was founded on a simple conviction: that small and mid-size nonprofits, colleges, and community organizations deserve the same caliber of fundraising expertise that major research universities take for granted — delivered by someone who knows your funders, understands your mission, and is genuinely invested in your success.

We partner with organizations to strengthen corporate and foundation investment with clarity, strategy, and confidence. Whether you're building a rural health initiative, expanding workforce development programs, or sustaining the community services your neighbors depend on, we help you find the right funders, tell the right story, and secure the resources your work deserves.

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.