Shelley MacKay is the Vice President of Development at The Whole Child, bringing 20 years of experience in organizational leadership, fundraising strategy, strategic partnerships, and mission-driven growth. Her career spans social justice movements and direct service organizations with a focus on advancing equity, healing, and expanding resources for communities impacted by systemic barriers.
For nearly a decade, Shelley has led development efforts at the intersection of youth justice, housing justice, LGBTQ+ equity, community safety, and healing arts initiatives. She specializes in building philanthropic partnerships, strengthening organizational capacity, and creating fundraising strategies that translate vision into measurable impact.
Prior to joining The Whole Child, Shelley served as Director of Development & Communications at Urban Peace Institute, where she advanced strategic fundraising initiatives, expanded stakeholder engagement, and supported community-driven solutions to violence prevention and youth justice. Previously, she served as Director of Major Gifts at Liberty Hill Foundation, Los Angeles County’s leading social justice foundation dedicated to supporting grassroots movements. During her tenure, Shelley led major gift strategies that more than doubled the foundations’ donors and major gifts, while advising Donor Advised Fund holders on values-aligned giving strategies.
Shelley also serves as Board Chair of A Window Between Worlds, providing governance leadership, fundraising expertise, and strategic guidance to advance the organization’s mission of harnessing the healing power of art to support trauma survivors across the country and around the world.
She holds a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Sector Management from California State University, Northridge, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Mills College. Shelley has recently completed executive leadership training through Executive Service Corps and the Coro Women in Leadership certification.