A long-term supporter of GCC’s work, Michelle Morgridge brings her expertise in non-profits and her love for wildlife to the organization in her new role as a board member.
Michelle Morgridge from the Morgridge Family Foundation (MFF) has been an integral part of the GCC adventure from the organization’s early days. After visiting GCC’s projects on the ground in South Africa in 2019, Michelle and the foundation committed to investing in GCC’s transformative growth, enabling the organization to advance its important work.
Her love for Africa started at the age of nine when her grandfather invited the whole family on a trip to Kenya and Tanzania to see the great migration. Her eyes light up when she talks of this trip and how it gave birth to a love for Africa and its wildlife. Today, now a mother herself, she worries that her son may not get to have the same experience as she did and this has shifted into a desire to do everything she can to help preserve the planet.
Being invited to join the Board of Directors is a huge honor for her and she admits to feeling very humbled. “I think just the opportunity to think collaboratively and work together with the board to make GCC the best that it can be is what I am looking forward to most,” she shares. “I am so grateful to be invited along for the ride to see where this takes our planet. GCC has so much potential.”
Her experience working with non-profits has taught her a great deal. “I think growing up in the non-profit world has shown me not necessarily how things run, but what can happen when they are poorly managed. So, I feel like the areas in which I have made mistakes in investing in non-profits have made me very attuned to the red flags. You learn the most from your mistakes,” she says with a smile.
Her expertise in helping non-profits will be a huge benefit to GCC, as the organization’s Founder Matt Lindenberg explains: “Inviting Michelle onto the GCC Board of Directors is a huge step for our entire organization. Seeing first-hand the passion, enthusiasm, and joy that Michelle has for African wildlife and her people, makes me excited about what we’ll achieve together. Michelle’s unique insight about how nonprofits and foundations successfully interact will equip GCC to develop further insights and strategies into forming new partnerships and relationships. Ultimately, she is just a brilliant, genuine, and dedicated human being, someone who I love spending time with. And now, we get to spend even more time together changing the world for the better.”
Michelle will be joining the Board of Directors in the second quarter of the year as GCC is currently working on putting in systems to ensure that all new board members have a seamless and enjoyable on-boarding experience. GCC is honored to have Michelle on the team in this new role and looks forward to all the expertise she can bring to the organization.
