About Us
Kittiwake is a strategic philanthropic consultancy rooted in East Coast values, specializing in fundraising strategy, talent development, and donor communications. We’re a team of fundraising experts who are transforming the giving landscape with an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach. Eschewing old-school consulting approaches prevalent in the charitable industry, Kittiwake swoops in with fresh air, perspective, and energy as we deliver hands-on strategic help.
We are committed to helping mission-driven organizations reach new heights through tailored philanthropic strategy, hands-on leadership support, and an unwavering focus on impact. Proudly rooted in East Coast values of adaptability, connection, and resilience, we believe in working side-by-side with our clients to achieve lasting change.
Role Overview
The Client Strategy Manager is a client-facing, relationship-driven leader responsible for managing multiple charity clients and assessing, building, and advancing integrated fundraising strategies.
This role sits at the intersection of fundraising strategy, project leadership, and relationship stewardship. You will partner with client leadership to assess current fundraising performance, identify opportunities and gaps, and develop practical, organization-wide plans that connect annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and campaigns into a sustainable fundraising model.
Success in this role requires strong strategic thinking, disciplined project management, and thoughtful relationship stewardship. You will translate strategy into clear priorities, workplans, and next steps—coordinating people, timelines, and resources while building trust and confidence with client leaders to ensure steady progress and high-quality delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Client Relationship Management (35%)
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Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for assigned client organizations.
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Build trusted, long-term relationships with CEOs, Executive Directors, development staff, board members, and volunteers.
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Facilitate regular client check-ins to ensure clarity, momentum, and alignment.
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Anticipate client needs and proactively identify opportunities for added value.
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Uphold a high standard of stewardship in how Kittiwake shows up for clients—responsive, thoughtful, and strategic.
Fundraising Strategy & Integration (30%)
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Develop organization-wide fundraising strategies that integrate:
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Help clients understand how these revenue streams work together to build long-term sustainability.
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Translate strategic recommendations into clear priorities, workplans, and timelines.
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Collaborate with Kittiwake team members and sub-contractors (e.g., prospect research, campaign advisors) to deliver a cohesive strategy.
Project Management & Execution (25%)
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Manage multiple client projects simultaneously, each with distinct timelines, deliverables, and stakeholders.
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Develop and track project plans, milestones, and deadlines.
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Coordinate meetings, materials, and follow-ups to keep work moving forward.
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Monitor project scope, timelines, and budgets to ensure client work stays on track and within agreed parameters.
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Ensure deliverables meet agreed scope, timelines, and Kittiwake’s quality standards.
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Flag risks, capacity challenges, or scope changes early and propose solutions.
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Help ensure client projects are well-scoped and realistically resourced from start to finish.
Internal Collaboration & Learning (10%)
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Work closely with the Strategic Growth Director to align client work with the firm's broader strategy.
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Contribute insights from client work to strengthen Kittiwake’s tools, templates, and approaches.
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Participate in team learning, reflection, and continuous improvement.
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This role owns day-to-day strategic direction and delivery for assigned clients, escalating as needed to the Strategic Growth Director.
Qualifications
Required
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Minimum 5 years of experience in the philanthropy or nonprofit fundraising sector.
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Demonstrated understanding of integrated fundraising models (annual, major, planned, campaigns).
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Experience managing projects, workplans, or portfolios of work with multiple stakeholders.
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Strong relationship-building skills—comfortable working with senior leaders, boards, and volunteers.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
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Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable juggling multiple priorities.
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Values-aligned with Kittiwake’s relationship-centred, mission-driven approach.
Preferred
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Exposure to campaign planning or execution.
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Comfort with tools like Google Workspace, project management platforms, and CRMs.
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Experience working with charities of varying sizes and capacities.
What Success Looks Like in This Role
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Clients feel supported, understood, and confident in their fundraising direction and next steps.
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Fundraising strategies are cohesive and integrated across annual, major, planned, and campaign efforts—not siloed.
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Projects move forward smoothly, with clear priorities, next steps, and minimal bottlenecks.
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Scope, timelines, and budgets are managed thoughtfully, with risks identified early and addressed proactively.
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Client engagements are well-organized, realistically resourced, and delivered to a consistently high standard.
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The Kittiwake team and clients experience this role as a steady, trusted presence that keeps work moving forward.
To Apply
Please visit our website to learn more and apply:
https://zurl.to/v6qz?source=CareerSite