Michelle Leporini

Development Director

Michelle Leporini is the Development Director at For The People, where she builds relationships with philanthropic partners and leads fundraising efforts, ensuring appropriate support and resources to achieve For The People’s mission. 

Prior to joining For The People, Michelle spent nearly a decade working in the nonprofit space, managing government contracts, building relationships with funders, mobilizing volunteers, and connecting with corporate partners to amplify the impact of nonprofits. Before this, Michelle spent 7 years working in a public safety agency, serving as the liaison between police officers, prosecutors, and the court. In addition, Michelle spent several years as a volunteer at San Quentin State Prison with the California Reentry Program, where she worked to support incarcerated people preparing to return to their community.  

Michelle earned her Masters in Criminal Justice and Criminology from San Diego State University and her B.S. in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Michelle’s academic research has focused on green jobs for individuals returning to their communities and the effects of juvenile hall discipline on youth. 

Michelle currently lives in Oakland, CA, and in her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, spending time with family, and enjoying all that the Bay Area has to offer.