Christine Gonzalez
Hyde Park,NY
Summary
Senior grants and advancement leader with 15+ years of experience managing complex private foundation, corporate, and federal portfolios ($2M–$19M+). Proven success securing multimillion-dollar philanthropic support, leading high-stakes reporting and compliance, and partnering with senior leadership to align funding strategy with mission and growth.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Grants Manager, Advancement
Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
07.2025 - Current
- Steward a $13.6M private foundation portfolio across 13 partners, partnering with the Advancement Officer for Foundation Giving to secure $2.1M in new awards, renewals, and unsolicited, climate-responsive funding expansions in 2025.
- Lead year-round reporting and compliance for $2.6M in corporate and institutional funding across five partners, ensuring timely submissions and payments.
- Author 17 funder-facing deliverables in 2025—including 8 final reports, 5 annual reports, 2 proposals, 1 addendum, and 1 LOI—supporting renewals and long-term funder relationships.
Grants Manager, Advancement
Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
01.2024 - 08.2025
- Stewarded an $11M private foundation portfolio across 10 funders, managing correspondence, reporting, and renewal timelines while supporting cultivation of new funding partnerships.
- Authored 16 funder-facing deliverables across private, corporate, and institutional funders—including proposals, LOIs, and interim/final reports—supporting $5.6M in philanthropic support and ensuring full compliance on $2.9M in corporate awards.
- Launched and led Instrumentl implementation, reducing administrative workload by 50%, strengthening grant tracking and prospect identification, and improving cross-functional coordination.
Senior Manager of Grants
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
03.2023 - 09.2023
- Supported cross-department fundraising across arts education, museum, and cultural programs, helping exceed the $1M+ annual goal while authoring 10 competitive proposals in six months to private, public, and government funders (including USDA and NYSCA).
- Centralized grants operations using Instrumentl, increasing qualified funding prospects by 50% and improving efficiency across teams.
Director of Finance & Research Administration | Contract Manager | Associate Program Manager
Research Foundation of The City University of New York (CUNY)
03.2009 - 11.2019
- Oversaw $17M–$19M federal and city grant portfolios, including NIH awards and 50+ contracts, ensuring compliance, accurate reporting, and timely closeout while supporting NIH, NSF, and NIDA proposals.
- Managed budgets up to $15.5M, advised executive leadership on financial strategy, and improved operational efficiency by 50% while supporting HR and administrative functions for 70+ staff.
Education
M.S.Ed. - Higher Education Administration
B.A. - Political Science
Mellon Minority Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Program recipient
Skills
CSR Strategy & Portfolio Management
Cross-Functional & Executive Collaboration
Corporate & Foundation Partnerships
Compliance, Governance & Risk Oversight
High-Impact Proposal Development & Impact Reporting
Grants & CSR Systems Optimization (Instrumentl)
Accomplishments
Founder & Director, The Authentic Self Institute | 2021–Present
Built and lead a mission-driven initiative supporting women’s self-leadership and resilience.
Remote Year — Sabbatical & Writer | 2019–2021
Worked remotely across 6 countries and 37 cities, strengthening cross-cultural communication and writing a memoir.
Timeline
Senior Grants Manager, Advancement - Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
07.2025 - Current
Grants Manager, Advancement - Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
01.2024 - 08.2025
Senior Manager of Grants - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
03.2023 - 09.2023
Director of Finance & Research Administration | Contract Manager | Associate Program Manager - Research Foundation of The City University of New York (CUNY)
03.2009 - 11.2019
Queens College, CUNY - B.A., Political Science
Baruch College, CUNY - M.S.Ed., Higher Education Administration