Sandra A. Miller, MA Ed

About Me

Sandra Miller’s passion is to connect people with purpose. For more than ten years, she has served Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with the most severe, complex conditions. As Senior Director of Major Gifts, she drives funding for the organization to increase direct contributions and restricted funding. Additionally, she played an instrumental role in the hospital’s $350 million capital campaign, raising funds for the first-ever translational research hospital — in which clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work together in the same space, surrounding patients, discovering new approaches and applying research in real time — which opened in 2017.

Prior, Sandra co-founded Better (formerly Make It Better), a media company, print magazine and digital platform focused on Chicago’s North Shore. As part of her role, she built and sustained relationships with more than 1,000 nonprofits, amplifying the organizations’ missions within the broader community. She helped to establish the company’s philanthropy awards, an annual program to identify and elevate leading nonprofit organizations. She also developed content, from news stories to promotional materials.

Sandra now lives in Chicago with her husband, Eric, after raising their three sons in Evanston. She maintains a high level of community involvement, and has served in board and volunteer roles for various organizations, including Camp Hope, Misericordia, St. Athanasius Church, Connections for the Homeless and Loyola Academy. Additionally, she belongs to several professional organizations, including the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, The Friday Club of Chicago and Chicago Women in Philanthropy.

Sandra earned her MA in Education from Northern Illinois University and her BS in Education from Illinois State University.