Michelle Cramer has had a passion for philanthropy since elementary school when one of her classmate’s home burnt down. That day, Cramer felt an insatiable calling to help the classmate’s family, and began to think about what she, and her community, could do to help. The next day, she brought a shoebox to school with a slit cut through the top and walked from classroom to classroom asking for donations from students and teachers.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about the loss and the pain…” Cramer says. “I never forget going to the classrooms, and the change being dropped, and the teachers putting in money, and just that feeling of helping someone. It’s a feeling I never got over, and that’s why I say it’s my calling.”
With a clear goal in mind, Cramer embarked on a career to give back.
After earning a degree in Broadcast Journalism from The Ohio State University Cramer began working as a community affairs coordinator at NBC4. While there she worked with nonprofits throughout central Ohio, served on committees for public relations and marketing and created public service announcements.
Cramer realized her passion and talent in fundraising could be harnessed to help others, which led her to start her own business, Cramer & Associates in 1988.
“At the time I was very young, and I was the only female minority-owned fundraising consulting firm in the country. Today we are the single largest female minority-owned consulting firm in the country,” Cramer says.
Throughout her years as president and CEO of the business, Cramer and her team have helped nonprofits raise close to $1.4 billion, and have worked with hundreds of organizations, including the YWCA Columbus and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio.
Two of Cramer’s most memorable projects: the $110 million construction project for The Ohio Union at The Ohio State University and the Dublin Library project. For OSU, the company conducted the Ohio Union’s first feasibility study and fundraising campaign to construct a new student union. And for the Dublin Library project, Cramer partnered with the Dublin Community Foundation, supporting them financially and helping them to raise money.
“The children and the teachers, and people from all over come to use our library,” Cramer says. “It’s just iconic.”
Additionally, for the last five years, Cramer has provided funds to bring nearly 30 Latina Girl Scouts and their families to a day camp that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Throughout the day, the girls experience many popular camp activities such as participating in a campout, exploring a creek and roasting marshmallows.
“It is my favorite day of the year,” Cramer says. “I am very proud to say that this is something we fund every year. My dream is that we can have this all-day Latina camp throughout the state of Ohio.”
Cramer is proud to call the Dublin community home, to both herself and her business.
“The needs in our community are addressed, our city leaders care about philanthropy, they care about helping those in need,” she says. “I’m going to claim it: (Dublin) is the most philanthropic city in America. I will say that every single day.”
Located in the heart of Historic Dublin, Cramer says Cramer & Associates is proud to embrace Dublin’s strong sense of community to create the perfect collaborative environment.
“One of the cool things about the front of our building is that we have little tables and chairs set up and folks will stop by, have a seat, eat an ice cream, do whatever and just chat,” says Mike Schmidt, executive vice president and a partner at Cramer & Associates. “There’s just something real ‘community’ about it.”
