Steve Michalek has spent his career in fundraising and development with over seventeen years of experience working with faith-based and higher education organizations. His expertise includes capital campaigns, major gifts, annual fund programs, alumni programs, board stewardship and training, pre-campaign studies, strategic planning, executive search, and volunteer training. He brings commitment, energy, and professionalism to each project. Steve recently received the firm’s annual Tim Manning Culture of Excellence Award.

Steve has worked with many of RA’s faith-based clients and has recently successfully completed a major capital campaign for the Diocese of Phoenix.

Prior to joining Ruotolo Associates, Steve worked with a national philanthropic counseling firm and directed more than 40 capital campaigns, stewardship programs, and feasibility studies around the US, always maintaining a high rate of success.

Steve also worked as a major gifts officer at William Paterson University developing relationships with donors for scholarship funding, capital projects and student job placement. Steve was directly involved in the research, cultivation, major gift solicitation and stewardship of each benefactor he engaged.

In total, Steve has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in philanthropic support – much of it through major gifts. He has personally trained thousands of volunteers to lead and participate in steering, major gift, and hospitality committees as well as to cultivate and solicit prospects. Steve prides himself on establishing and maintaining excellent personal and business relationships with the clients, campaign leadership and volunteers he has personally served.

Steve earned his BA in Communication at William Paterson University. He resides in Nutley, New Jersey, with his wife, Alicia, and their two children