about us
Background & Philosophy
“Organizations striving to achieve impact at scale are most successful when they leverage the strengths of all sectors - nonprofit, for-profit and government.” *
Meet Jill May
President of Trisector Consulting
Jill May is a nonprofit strategist who helps organizations solve funding challenges that don’t have obvious answers.
With more than 20 years of experience, she works with organizations across all stages facing complex or underdeveloped funding environments. Whether building from the ground up, recalibrating strategy, or strengthening the systems that support sustainable revenue. She partners with organizational leaders to strengthen positioning, develop strategic funding opportunities, and build more stable and diversified revenue models.
Jill’s work sits at the intersection of funding strategy, implementation, and organizational development. Through Trisector Consulting, she helps organizations move from reactive fundraising to systems that are intentional, scalable, and built to last.
Jill has successfully secured funding from individual, foundation, corporate, and government sources, with particular expertise in helping organizations compete in highly competitive funding environments. She is especially known for her expertise in grant strategy, grounded in a clear understanding of how funders assess risk, alignment, and impact. Organizations engage Jill when they face fundraising challenges that require more than grant writing alone—whether launching a capital campaign, building fundraising infrastructure, diversifying revenue, or positioning a new initiative for philanthropic investment.
Before founding Trisector Consulting, Jill led fundraising and organizational development initiatives for nonprofits and economic development organizations across Michigan. Working across organizations of different sizes, missions, and funding models, she helped expand organizational capacity, strengthen programs, and advance mission-driven impact.
In addition to her work with nonprofits, Jill brings a funder’s perspective from her time as a Program Officer at the Frey Foundation and through her service to Impact 100 and the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Experience on both sides of the funding table informs her ability to align organizational strategy with how funding decisions are actually made.
Jill’s extensive board and advisory experience gives her an equally important perspective on nonprofit governance. Her firsthand understanding of board leadership, strategic decision-making, and organizational accountability enables her to work effectively as a strategic partner to both executive leadership and boards of directors.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communications from Olivet College and a Master of Public Administration from Grand Valley State University, where she was later recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus.
Jill helps organizations not only secure funding, but build the clarity, structure, and strategy required to sustain it over time.
Listen to Jill share fundraising tips on this episode of the Dancing in the Discomfort Zone podcast.
Read Jill's Q&A interview by Crain's Grand Rapids Business.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING
Trisector Consulting is committed to providing an inclusive environment for our employees, clients, and communities alike. Organizations are more successful when they leverage the strengths of all sectors and all people– regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, identity or experience. Our promise is to champion diversity and do our part to create a community and world where everyone feels like they belong.
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