Communications and Digital Fundraising Associate

Michelle Bergsma is a Canadian expat living in the Netherlands who supports nonprofits with their communications and digital fundraising. She specializes in aligning marketing and fund development team strategies to improve online donor journeys. Michelle launched MB Creative in 2018 and remotely works with non-profit’s around the globe, she currently has clients in Canada, USA, and the UK.

In the past year, Michelle developed brand and social media materials for FearIsNotLove, stepped up as interim support for Hospice Calgary, leading the digital strategy for their annual Hike For Hospice Calgary peer to peer campaign, and led the development and implementation of a crowdfunding campaign for Alfred Friendly PressPartners. Further, she has created case for supports, annual reports, campaign communication plans, campaign communication collateral, and more for clients such as Yukon University, Canada’s Ukrainian Shumka Dancers, Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, YMCA Camp Chief Hector and more. She has supported project teams on multiple client projects with fundraising goals from $1 million to $20 million over the past 5 years with ViTreo Group.

Before realizing her passion for digital fundraising, Michelle’s background started in online marketing. She managed the exciting marketing campaign for Global Philanthropic (UK) as they embarked on the moonshot of hosting the largest virtual philanthropy forum, Talking Philanthropy 2021. Talking Philanthropy resulted in 5000registered attendees from 52 countries, 1500+ YouTube views of the forum post event, 250+ live tweets during the event, and is considered one of the biggest philanthropy conferences ever hosted.

Prior to this, Michelle led the development and implementation of ViTreo Group Inc’s marketing and social media strategy (from 2017 to 2020), designed The Provocateur’s blog and managed the launch of the Fundraising Ask Anything events in response to the Pandemic.

Outside of digital fundraising and communications, Michelle can be found speaking on, writing about and sharing information on IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access). As a person with hearing loss, she has a personal vendetta for more inclusive spaces for everyone. Michelle has two cats and a dog (Zorro, Olaf, and Pablo) who each like to make appearances during video chats and share insights on how to improve digital marketing strategies.