About

Montage of images showing a child by the water, a magazine cover, a woman portrait, a man on a rooftop, a woman at a TED event, and a lakeside sunset.

Josephine Roberts, Principal Advisor

After immigrating from the Philippines, my family settled in a small town on the shores of Lake Charlevoix, where I experienced the transformative power of the outdoors and community in shaping new beginnings. These early lessons in resilience and connection taught me the values of perseverance, collaboration, and resourcefulness—principles that would later become the foundation of my career in philanthropy.

From leading initiatives in Detroit's nonprofit sector to stewarding conservation efforts across Northern Michigan and directing philanthropic investments in global environmental programs, I've guided donors through increasingly complex challenges. Whether launching urban youth sailing programs, preserving critical watersheds, or advancing international conservation efforts, I discovered my strength in helping passionate people navigate the intricate landscape of strategic giving.

Like a tugboat—small but mighty— with determination and heart, small and intentional actions can lead to transformational change.

This philosophy became the foundation for Tugboat Philanthropy, where we help donors chart their course through the social impact space, translating their values into meaningful impact. Our approach combines careful navigation with bold vision, ensuring each philanthropic investment creates lasting legacies that uplift communities and build a better world.

Gears with icons representing nature, home, sound, and microphone.

Our Team

Tugboat Philanthropy operates with a focused core team supported by a carefully curated network of experts and partners. Our core team maintains high-touch relationships with clients while ensuring consistent quality and strategic alignment across all engagements.

For specialized projects and unique client needs, we activate our extensive network of subject matter experts, technical specialists, and implementation partners. This includes environmental experts for climate initiatives, family dynamics facilitators for next-generation programs, impact measurement specialists for evaluation frameworks, and ESG integration consultants for corporate programs. We thoughtfully match experts to specific project requirements, bringing in precisely the right expertise at the right time. This flexible model allows us to scale our capabilities while maintaining lean operations and ensuring clients benefit from best-in-class expertise across various domains.

Our strategic partnerships with legal firms, community foundations, wealth management advisors, and nonprofit organizations further our ability to deliver comprehensive solutions. We've cultivated these relationships over years of collaboration, allowing us to assemble optimal teams for each client's unique needs. This networked approach means we can remain nimble and responsive while accessing deep expertise across the philanthropic landscape, ultimately helping our clients achieve greater impact in their giving.

JILLIAN WORSLEY

OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

With over 10 years of experience in operations and process improvement, Jillian helps nonprofit organizations build the systems that let their missions run smoothly. Her background spans sales/fundraising operations and CRM management, including hands-on work with Salesforce and Hubspot, client onboarding, and internal project coordination.

Jillian specializes in database housekeeping and optimization, grant portal configuration, procedure creation and documentation, and team onboarding. Her goal is to help nonprofits reduce administrative friction so their staff can focus on impact rather than logistics. Whether it's cleaning up years of accumulated data, streamlining a grantee portal, or writing clear procedures that make onboarding new team members painless, Jillian brings a detail-oriented, process-first approach to every engagement.

Connect on LinkedIn

Abbey Wilson

BRAND & COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST

Abbey Wilson is a brand and communications strategist with over a decade of experience building marketing systems and visual identities for mission-driven organizations, real estate firms, and small businesses across Michigan. As Director of Marketing & Communications she leads brand strategy, design, and communications for a statewide nonprofit, producing everything from annual reports and publications to social campaigns and branded merchandise. Her background spans luxury to nonprofit marketing, policy advocacy, and magazine production giving her a rare mix of creative design skill and operational marketing know-how.

Through her studio, Traveling Mutt Media, Abbey partners with small businesses, start-ups, and community organizations to develop cohesive brand identities, marketing collateral, and digital strategies that help them grow. She's equally comfortable leading a full rebrand from concept to launch or stepping in to sharpen an existing brand's consistency across print and digital channels. Some of her work can be viewed at travelingmuttmedia.com.