(she/her)

Michelle Morales is President of the Woods Fund Chicago, a foundation supporting community organizing and advocacy. A first-generation US-born Puerto Rican, she previously led Mikva Challenge Illinois, developing youth civic leadership. Her career began in alternative education as a teacher in Humboldt Park and Associate Director of the Alternative Schools Network, and she spent 16 years organizing in Chicago’s Puerto Rican community on issues from police brutality to educational justice. At Woods Fund, she has centered racial justice, embedded Trust-Based Philanthropy, and increased annual payout. Michelle holds degrees from DePaul, UIC, and Northeastern Illinois University.