cheryl comai

 Cheryl Comai is an accomplished fund raising professional whose career in Rhode Island non-profit fund-raising spans more than 30 years.  Her passions include developing and implementing fundraising plans, capital campaign planning and execution, and corporate fundraising.  She is one of the most experienced grant writers in this region raising millions in charitable support as a development professional and consultant. 

After working for several years in small entrepreneurial businesses and selling one of those businesses to Bausch and Lomb, Cheryl began her non-profit career at Bryant University as Director of Corporate Development. At the Rhode Island School of Design, she served as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations where she increased corporate and foundation support by 33% in each year of her tenure.  While at RISD, she was instrumental in initiating and negotiating to conclusion, the first-ever, out-licensing of RISD intellectual property to the Maytag Corporation that resulted in an additional $1 million through a technology transfer. 

As Executive Director/Development and Alumni Affairs at Roger Williams University, Cheryl instituted a major giving program and organized the University’s first capital campaign. She re-organized the development department and surpassed all previous annual fundraising goals.

Cheryl managed the highly successful $15 million capital campaign at Meeting Street from inception to successful completion – earlier than expected.  She assisted in securing an individual gift of $1.5 million and a $1 million corporate gift and re-instated the successful Meeting Street Telethon.

At the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, Cheryl organized the $12 million capital campaign and increased the number of annual fund donors by 30%.  She also served as the Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at Providence College, managing a staff of 5 major gift officers. 

Cheryl has a B.A. in Social Work from Elms College and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island. She and her husband, Nicholas, now live in Oro Valley, Arizona.  She has been very active in the Newcomers Club, volunteered for several non-profit organizations, works as a consultant with Partners in Philanthropy, and continues to travel as much as possible.