Lynne is the CEO of Midwest Giving Strategies, a Grand Rapids-based consultancy specializing in strategic counsel and coaching to nonprofits and the philanthropic sector. The launch of her firm follows a 23-year tenure at the Frey Foundation, one of Michigan’s most prominent family foundations. Her responsibilities included the development, review, and evaluation of grants that advance the programmatic efforts of the Foundation. Lynne joined the Frey Foundation as a program officer, analyzing funding proposals designed to improve outcomes for young children and catalyze civic development. Ultimately, she advanced to lead the portfolio management of the Foundations four grantmaking focus areas – Enhancing the Lives of Children and Their Families, Building Community, Community Arts and Environment. As a member of the foundation’s leadership team, Lynne informed organizational culture and strategy. She also provided leadership on major community-impact initiatives including affordable housing and equity in community-based early care and education.
Prior to joining the Frey Foundation, Lynne worked as a strategic planning consultant with the Greystone Companies in Grand Rapids and Washington DC. There she managed national program initiatives for a national non-profit agency and collaborated with community-based agencies around the country providing technical assistance and capacity building assistance to project partners.
Lynne spent nearly a decade working as the Vice President for Small Business at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. Under her leadership, the organization expanded services to family-owned businesses, minority-owned firms and fostered collaborative partnerships with lenders, attorneys, and marketing professionals on behalf of the broader West Michigan small business community.
Lynne is a veteran of the United States Army. She has served in the leadership of a number of community boards, including the Council of Michigan Foundations, First Steps Kent, the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, KConnect, Housing Kent, and Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health). She was named the 2019 recipient for the Dr. Gerald K. Smith Award for Philanthropy by the Council of Michigan Foundations Michigan Forum for African Americans in Philanthropy – an award that honors the work and grantmaking activities promoting social change in communities of color. Lynne was also presented with the 2024 Ebenezer Award by ICCF recognizing collaborative efforts in support of the provision of safe, equitable, affordable housing in Kent County.