Leader Dogs for the Blind CEO and leadership

Dani Landolt are a Chief Marketing Officer at Leader Dogs for the Blind and are based in Detroit, Michigan. They have worked as Sponsorship Sales & Marketing Manager at World Games 2010 Foundation Inc, Marketing Manager at AAM - American Axle & Manufacturing, and Marketing & Communications Manager at AAM - American Axle & Manufacturing. Dani studied at University of Pennsylvania between 1999 and 2003 and University of Kentucky between 2003 and 2006.

A recipient of the Crain’s Notable Women in Non Profits Award recognizing women who innovate and lead in the social sector, Melissa leads the national philanthropy and fundraising team at Leader Dogs for the Blind. With over 16 years of experience in fundraising to serve people who are blind or visually impaired, Melissa has during her tenure raised over $115 million dollars, diversified and grown revenue streams and led the successful $14.5 million-dollar capital campaign for the canine development center. She oversees philanthropic efforts including major and planned giving, foundation gifts, annual giving, estate giving, donor relations and stewardship and Lions Club giving encompassing over 4,900 participating clubs nationwide. She has achieved year over year revenue growth and a 40% increase in major gift giving to the organization.

Prior to coming to Leader Dog, Melissa was a private client advisor at Christies, London where she worked extensively with high net worth individuals and foundations. She has worked in Hong Kong, Singapore and Washington, D.C.

Melissa graduated from the University of Notre Dame and has a Master’s degree from the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Non-Profit Executive Leadership program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and of fundraising and nonprofit management programs at Georgetown University and the Lily School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Melissa serves on the Women’s Impact Initiative Committee for the International Board of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals, on the Executive Committee of the Board of the American Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter and as a Board committee member for the American Foundation for the Blind.Expertise in: nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, constituency management, revenue generation, budget development, volunteer management, capital campaign, donor relations.