Christina Roberts
Silver Spring
Summary
Accomplished development leader with over 15 years of experience driving fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and operational excellence across higher education and nonprofit sectors. Proven success in streamlining development systems for 15+ organizations, managing high-volume gift processing, and optimizing CRM infrastructure, including Salesforce, to strengthen data integrity and fundraising performance. Recognized for blending analytical rigor with empathetic leadership, mentoring diverse teams, and cultivating donor relationships that inspire sustained giving. Experienced collaborator with senior executives and boards, contributing to institutional planning, accreditation efforts, and major fundraising initiatives. Deeply committed to advancing equity and women’s leadership, bringing both technical expertise and mission-driven passion to every facet of development work.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Director (Nonprofit Consultant)
Thread Strategies
07.2022 - Current
- Strengthened fundraising programs for 15+ nonprofit organizations by delivering comprehensive development assessments and customized growth plans grounded in donor data, messaging analysis, and revenue performance insights.
- Built and optimized donor systems and pipelines, drafting SOPs for Bloomerang and Network for Good CRMs to improve team compliance and database integrity; conducted DonorSearch wealth screenings for over 5,000 records and produced more than 25 detailed donor profiles with tailored cultivation strategies.
- Enhanced campaign readiness and major gifts strategy by drafting gift acceptance policies, identifying high-value donor prospects, and advising executive leadership on staffing plans, including key development hires.
Director of Communications & Marketing, Office of Development
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine
01.2021 - 07.2022
- Revitalized each Academy’s appeal campaigns, crafting targeted donor communications that increased average gift size and strengthened donor retention; led the development and design of the Office of Development’s multi-year strategic plan, and core stewardship materials.
- Produced and scripted an innovative 'Jeopardy-style' campaign video for the National Academy of Medicine's $100M initiative, showcased at a live virtual event that inspired $1.5M in new gifts, and helped close the campaign after achieving its $100M target by fiscal year-end.
- Led and mentored a cross-functional team, including annual giving, donor relations, and events staff, fostering a collaborative culture of philanthropy and improving year-over-year fundraising performance.
- Implemented and institutionalized Asana as the department’s project management platform, streamlining workflow, improving accountability, and increasing team efficiency across development operations.
Interim Director of Alumni Engagement
Pratt Institute
09.2019 - 06.2020
- Reported directly to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, leading a development and alumni engagement team of five to strengthen institutional relationships and expand Pratt’s virtual and in-person engagement initiatives. Oversaw a $1.5M departmental budget and provided fiscal leadership in preparing annual and projected budgets.
- Directed engagement across 14 domestic and international alumni networks, enhancing volunteer leadership, programming, and donor cultivation through coordinated regional events and digital outreach, which increased participation and giving.
- Forged cross-campus partnerships with Student Involvement, Continuing Education, and Career and Professional Development to connect alumni engagement with student experience, career pathways, and lifelong learning.
- Enhanced digital engagement infrastructure, developing new online platforms, and virtual programming that broadened global reach and deepened alumni connection to the Institute.
Donor Relations Manager
York College CUNY
09.2017 - 09.2019
- Partnered with academic leadership, including the Dean of the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences and the Chair of Nursing, to secure $45,000 in new scholarship funding over two years, expanding financial aid opportunities for students in high-need programs.
- Supervised a team of three, and led the internal planning and execution of major special events, including a scholarship gala that raised over $120,000 in FY2019 to support student aid and strengthen alumni engagement.
- Adhered to the Donor Bill of Rights, transformed data and fund management systems by digitizing donor records, optimizing the CRM for real-time analytics, and creating a scholarship tracking process that improved financial accuracy and stewardship reporting, resulting in more strategic funding proposals and expanded donor opportunities.
- Developed a system to track and manage scholarship funding and drafted donor endowment reports annually
Director of Annual Giving
SUNY Westchester Community College
11.2015 - 09.2017
- Achieved a 73% increase in unrestricted employee giving within one fiscal year and secured a $250,000 endowment gift from a foundation, driving substantial growth in fundraising outcomes.
- Strategized and executed moves management to secure over $600,000 each fiscal year from corporations and foundations for scholarship and programmatic support.
- Revamped direct marketing and branding strategies, achieving 20% growth in donor contributions and surpassing fiscal goals for FY2016 ($460K) and FY2017 ($485K); and recruited nine new President’s Council members through targeted solicitation, strategic stewardship, and board engagement.
- Launched Westchester Community College’s first Giving Day, an innovative digital campaign that generated over $60,000 in new scholarship support and established a sustainable platform for annual philanthropic engagement.
Director of Parent Programs
Trinity-Pawling School: Advancement
08.2014 - 11.2015
- Managed a portfolio of 300 families and strategically assessed the percentage of parents receiving financial aid to specifically target families with a great capacity for making five- or six-figure gifts, which led to exceeding the unrestricted fiscal year goal by $30,000.
- Led numerous initiatives to enhance fundraising efforts, including prospect research, to elevate donor engagement; exceeded the annual goal at Trinity-Pawling School by increasing parent participation in the Annual Fund from 40% to 54%, contributing to over $280,000 raised in a single year.
- Oversaw the parent volunteer group (PRIDE Parents’ Association) and the PRIDE Phone-a-thon Program to cultivate peer-to-peer solicitations. Executed Parents' Weekend and Spring Family Weekend events, both resulting in a turnout of over 175 families.
Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Stewardship/Matching Gifts
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
11.2013 - 08.2014
- Led efforts to develop three separate strategies and guidelines that enhanced processes by streamlining matching gift opportunities and identifying cross-team collaboration opportunities during events and stewardship opportunities.
Senior Donor & Event Records Specialist
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
06.2013 - 11.2013
- Supervised and trained incoming Donor & Event Record Specialist
Donor & Event Records Specialist (Raiser’s Edge Gift Processor)
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
08.2011 - 05.2013
- Developed a standard operating procedure manual for Raiser’s Edge CRM; processed 6,000 gifts and 1,000 event registrations annually within the CRM
- Maintained donor data records and ensured compliance with IRS and Donor Bill of Rights guidelines for tracking, receipting, and reporting as required
Student Worker
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
08.2008 - 08.2011
Education
Licensed Master of Social Work -
Office of the Professions – New York State Education Department
01.2014
Master of Science - Social Work
Adelphi University
Garden City, New York06-2011
Bachelor of Science - Social Work
Adelphi University
Garden City, New York08-2010
Skills
- CRM proficiency: Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, Bloomerang, Network for Good, Neon One
- DonorSearch Microsoft Office Google Workspace Adobe Creative Suite Slack Asana and Trello Mailchimp QuickBooks Squarespace HTML and CSS Coding
- Fundraising Strategy Development Operations Leader Direct Supervision of a Team Onboarding and Offboarding Recruitment and Hiring Prospect Research and Wealth Screening Data Analysis Donor Pipeline Management Strategic Planning Budget Management Board Reporting Special Event Management Nonprofit Communications and Marketing Graphic and Web Design Donor and Board Relations Ethical Storytelling
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
- Operations Specialist
- Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault - Silver Spring, MD
- Oversee day-to-day operations for the MCASA team of 30, streamlining agency operations by coordinating remote work logistics, overseeing office supply management, ensuring compliance with policies, and implementing secure communication protocols for staff and clients.
- Facilitated onboarding and offboarding for over 10 staff members, including equipment distribution, orientation, and preparation of HR documentation to support seamless transitions.
- Maintained compliance by updating the agency Operations Manual and ensured adherence to confidentiality and tech protocols. Maintained and streamlined staff records, reconciled payroll and expense reports, and facilitated benefits administration.
- Partnered with vendors and staff to address technical and operational needs and managed procurement, ensuring timely resolution of service issues and proper functioning of equipment and resources.
NONPROFIT CONSULTING
- Brem Foundation, 2025
- Flok Health, 2025
- Latino Family Fund, 2024
- Life Piece To Masterpieces, 2024
- Nashville Adult Literacy Center, 2024
- Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas, 2024
- Diaper Bank, 2024
- Black Feminist Future, 2023
- Raising A Village, 2023
- Napa Valley Community Foundation, 2023
- Growing Up Green Charter School, 2023
- The Safe Sisters Circle, 2023
- Creative Cauldron, 2022
- Shout Mouse Press, 2022
- Team Telomere, 2022
Timeline
Director (Nonprofit Consultant)
Thread Strategies
07.2022 - Current
Director of Communications & Marketing, Office of Development
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine
01.2021 - 07.2022
Interim Director of Alumni Engagement
Pratt Institute
09.2019 - 06.2020
Donor Relations Manager
York College CUNY
09.2017 - 09.2019
Director of Annual Giving
SUNY Westchester Community College
11.2015 - 09.2017
Director of Parent Programs
Trinity-Pawling School: Advancement
08.2014 - 11.2015
Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Stewardship/Matching Gifts
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
11.2013 - 08.2014
Senior Donor & Event Records Specialist
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
06.2013 - 11.2013
Donor & Event Records Specialist (Raiser’s Edge Gift Processor)
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
08.2011 - 05.2013
Student Worker
Adelphi University: Office of Institutional Advancement
08.2008 - 08.2011
Licensed Master of Social Work -
Office of the Professions – New York State Education Department
Master of Science - Social Work
Adelphi University
Bachelor of Science - Social Work
Adelphi University