cheryl comai
Cheryl Comai, MBA, is an accomplished fundraising executive with over 35 years of proven success driving institutional growth in the non-profit sector. An expert strategist, Cheryl specializes in corporate and foundation relations, capital campaign execution, and advanced grant writing, having secured millions in charitable support as both an internal development leader and a premier consultant.
Cheryl’s career began in the private sector, where she built and co-owned an entrepreneurial venture that she successfully negotiated and sold to Bausch & Lomb. Transitioning her commercial acumen to academia, she served as Director of Corporate Development at Bryant University before joining the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) as Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. At RISD, she grew foundation funding by a remarkable 33% annually and engineered a historic, first-of-its-kind technology transfer and intellectual property licensing agreement with the Maytag Corporation, generating $1 million in revenue.
Her leadership extended to higher education advancement as Executive Director of Development and Alumni Affairs at Roger Williams University, where she structured the university’s inaugural capital campaign, launched their major giving program, and restructured the department to break all previous annual fundraising records.
An elite campaign strategist, Cheryl managed Meeting Street’s highly successful $15 million capital campaign from inception to early completion, personally securing a $1.5 million individual gift, a $1 million corporate gift, and reviving their iconic annual telethon. Her subsequent campaign leadership includes organizing the $12 million capital drive for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School—where she grew annual fund donors by 30%—and directing major and planned giving at Providence College, managing an elite team of five major gift officers.
Cheryl holds a B.A. in Social Work from Elms College and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island. Now based in Oro Valley, Arizona, she continues to drive impact across New England as a consultant with Partners in Philanthropy, LLC, while actively volunteering and exploring the world.
