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Kristine Caiafa

@kristinecaiafa

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Strategic grant and portfolio manager driving partnerships, funding growth, and performance tracking.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek roles that leverage strategic grant and portfolio management, partnership cultivation, and performance systems to grow funding and impact within collaborative, mission-driven organizations.

I am a strategic grant and portfolio manager with experience across government, corporate, and foundation relations, focused on building partner ecosystems and securing multi-million dollar investments. I bring expertise in grant management, strategic planning, and performance measurement, with a track record of designing systems that scale funding and partnerships.

At USAID I led portfolio strategy and partner engagement for large funding portfolios, salvaging high‑stakes partnerships, soliciting and awarding hundreds of millions in contracts, and rapidly mobilizing urgent funding when needed. In my current role I manage a $650K partner portfolio, cultivate institutional and corporate funders, and have built a $2.5M+ pipeline while securing significant sponsorship revenue.

I combine analytical rigor (dashboards, KPIs, CRM workflows) with strong executive communication and stakeholder management to deliver results. I hold an MS in Policy Analysis and Program Management, federal grant management certification, and advanced training in analytics and project management — and I prioritize partnership, accountability, and measurable impact in every role.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Government, Corporate & Foundation Relations Manager

Current

New Jersey Agricultural Society

Sep 2025 - Present (4 months)

Manage a $650K portfolio of 50+ public, institutional and corporate partners, building a $2.5M+ funding pipeline and securing $200K+ in annual gala sponsorships while increasing income by 500% through strategic proposal development.

Grant Management Fundraising Partner Engagement Proposal Writing Pipeline Development CRM Sponsorship Sales

Senior Strategic Planning Advisor

U.S. Agency for International Development

Apr 2023 - Apr 2025 (2 years)

Led systemic design efforts for long-term strategies across $650M+ portfolios, managed high-stakes stakeholder communications and salvaged major partnerships while planning and awarding $275M+ in human services contracts.

Strategic Planning Systems Design Stakeholder Management Contracting Communication Program Management Portfolio Management Policy Analysis

Portfolio Manager

U.S. Agency for International Development

Jun 2020 - Apr 2023 (2 years 10 months)

Managed relationships with 25+ partners, ensured grant quality through site visits and KPI reviews, and designed performance tracking frameworks that enabled urgent awards of $70M in three months.

Portfolio Management Grant Management Monitoring & Evaluation KPIs Stakeholder Engagement CRM Data Visualization

Junior Portfolio Manager

U.S. Agency for International Development

Sep 2019 - Jun 2020 (9 months)

Coordinated daily cross-functional meetings to deliver a $200M+ Asia portfolio and maintained program data in CRM and internal systems to inform reporting and decision-making.

Program Coordination CRM Cross Functional Communication Data Management Reporting

Policy Researcher

Tufts University

Oct 2014 - Feb 2019 (4 years 4 months)

Conducted research and analysis for a $1.5B program portfolio, organized 300+ virtual/hybrid events, produced 15 publications and developed dashboards and briefings to communicate findings to stakeholders.