Michael Happ is a nonprofit executive, fundraiser, consultant, writer, and community activist based in Chicago, Illinois. He currently serves as Director of Development, Midwest for American Farmland Trust, the country’s leading agricultural conservationist organization. His responsibilities include cultivating relationships with AFT’s ever-growing network of supporters in the country's breadbasket, crafting and implementing a comprehensive development strategy for the region, and soliciting and securing generous major gifts to support AFT’s vital programming both locally and nationally.

He previously served as Executive Director and Associate Vice President for CCS Fundraising, the most successful and renowned charitable fundraising firm in the US, dedicated to helping nonprofits make transformational change in their communities for more than 70 years. While at CCS, Mike directed several successful multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns, and conducted feasibility and planning studies for a wide variety of nonprofit and public entities. Prior to joining CCS, Mike was Administrative Director of Citizen Action/Illinois, the state’s leading progressive advocacy coalition, where he oversaw financial operations, human resources, information technology, and communications.

With two decades of experience in nonprofits and the public sector, Mike’s work has spanned environmental causes, social service agencies, issue-advocacy coalitions, arts organizations, faith communities, and political campaigns. He has also presented across the Midwestern United States and Ontario on topics including volunteer management, gift solicitation, presentation and public speaking, and philanthropic trends. His writing includes case statements, web content, short stories, essays, speeches, memoirs, and a novel, Mere Oblivion.

Mike holds an M.S. from DePaul University's School of Public Service, with a concentration in Policy, and a BFA in Theatre Directing from Drake University. He has served as President of the Board of Directors of Rape Victim Advocates (now named Resilience), as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Holy Covenant United Methodist Church, an as a director at-large on the Boards of the Chicago Farmers and the Ravenswood Community Council.