The National Defense University Foundation’s Vice President of Advancement Michelle Buhr has 20 years of experience supporting a broad spectrum of mission-focused organizations that make the world a better place, with a concentration focused on higher education. Prior to joining NDUF, Michelle worked as a successful consultant and served as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Inbloom Consulting.

Michelle’s areas of nonprofit expertise include board engagement and training; program development and strategic planning, training and development, and a concentration in partnerships and organizational advancement. As an advancement professional, Michelle is an expert in capital campaign design and implementation; feasibility analysis; messaging and communications strategies; and major gift development.  

As a fundraiser, Michelle was an Assistant Director at the Yale Alumni Fund, where she raised the first ever 7-figure class gift.  She also served as the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations at the University of Houston, where her responsibilities included reporting to and engaging with the University’s 40,000 donors annually. In Washington, DC, she was the chief development officer for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.  Michelle has extensive experience in all aspects of donor engagement; her specialty is designing philanthropic partnxerships built on collaboration with the goal of expanding collective impact.

As a consultant, Michelle has supported the goals for a broad spectrum of regionally based and national nonprofits such as the Taya and Chris Kyle Foundation, Boot Campaign, Alaqua Animal Refuge, Ocean Studies Charter School, the Wiregrass Museum of Art and The Center for Health Affairs, Say Yes to Education and The City Club of Cleveland, amongst others.

Michelle is also a 22-year military spouse of an active-duty Army service member and has lived in 10 states over the past 20 years. She holds a BBA from Georgia Southern University in Accounting.