DeShele is a leading and trusted advisor in the philanthropy and fundraising fields. With nearly 20 years of experience, DeShele leverages her expertise to support corporations, philanthropies, nonprofits and other institutions in the planning, development and execution of outcome-centered initiatives that address social change. DeShele complements her real-world experience with skills and acumen in strategic planning, signature program development, partnership facilitation and evaluation. Throughout her career, DeShele has influenced the investment of more than $375M across several cause areas, ranging from the arts and culture to youth development. In 2013, she established Dorsey Impact Solutions, an Atlanta-based firm, dedicated to helping organizations achieve greater success and impact through authentic, solution-focused community engagement efforts. Recent clients include Alliance to End Hunger, AdPR Academy, Lamb Weston and Xcel Energy.
DeShele serves as a senior advisor to the Corporate Social Engagement practice at Changing Our World. She previously led the team, where she was responsible for daily operations. She was instrumental in helping the team establish its thought leadership, having created the tools and resources to support the development of corporate community involvement leaders. DeShele assisted companies, including ConAgra Foods, Hess, MillerCoors, Altria Client Services, FedEx, Sam’s Club, and CarMax, in maximizing their citizenship efforts to garner greater brand value, consumer loyalty and employee engagement.
From 2002 to 2006, DeShele worked at TCC Group, where she provided a variety of consulting services for corporate citizenship programs and nonprofit organizations.
DeShele is a national speaker and presenter on philanthropy trends and promising practices. She has led webinars and conference workshops for national and regional organizations, affinity groups and membership associations such as the Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals, Conference Board, Council on Foundations, Washington Area Grantmakers and Indiana Grantmakers Alliance.
DeShele completed her Master’s of Public Administration at Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, where she gathered expertise in financial management, strategic planning, and public policy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Marketing from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
