Strategic Counsel for Advancement Leaders Navigating Institutional Complexity

I advise advancement leaders on complex strategy — including campaign readiness, organizational design, annual giving transformation, and advancement analytics.

Most often, I’m brought in when institutions are navigating complexity, leadership transitions, or significant philanthropic ambition.

Forest landscape in Vermont representing perspective on both immediate detail and distant horizon

Short- and long-view fundraising: vision-driven, strategically aligned, data-informed, and intentional in execution.

Approach & Services

  • "We wouldn’t be where we are with our Capital Campaign without Kathy. Our Board unanimously approved the campaign launch in large part because of Kathy’s guidance. Kathy has been invaluable to me as Board Chair in setting a clear course for a transformative effort to secure a bright and sustainable future for Canterbury Shaker Village. In every conversation, I wholeheartedly rely on her remarkable blend of intellectual and emotional intelligence."

    — Jean McClung Nye, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Canterbury Shaker Village

  • "In the very best way, when I engaged Kathy to help with a specific project as I came on board at Berklee, I got way more than I thought I would! Kathy brought her industry depth and breadth to our work, understood our unique complexities immediately, and helped both with deep data analysis as well as by being a key partner in a new org design. I even asked her to interview my new leadership role candidates as she had come to know us well and knew what I was seeking. She is a partner, advocate, analyst, coach, and confidante. I recommend her unequivocally. "

    — Erin Tunnicliffe, Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Berklee College of Music

  • “Consultants may come and go, but if you are looking for a true partner, an extension of your team, someone who cares deeply about your mission, then working with Kathy Howrigan is for you. Kathy is thoughtful, innovative, and strategic -- someone who can always be relied upon to provide professional advice and wise counsel!”

    — Christene Riendeau, Director of Annual Giving and Volunteer Relations at College of the Holy Cross

  • "More than a consultant, Kathy was truly a partner over the many years that she worked with Tulane’s Office of Advancement. Kathy helped guide our team through a complicated process that resulted in the development of the Tulane Fund for Undergraduate Education. This was a massive undertaking that streamlined and centralized our direct marketing and involved countless hours of analysis, as well as making the case to all levels of internal stakeholders. Kathy worked hand in hand with us from the conception of this project through its successful integration into our operation."

    — Christine Hoffman, Vice President for Advancement at Tulane University

  • "Kathy and first met when we served on a CASE conference committee years ago, and then in 2019 we hired her as the lead for our feasibility and assessment study. She delivered on what she promised and added tremendous value by lending her expertise to shape an exceptional CASE conference and provide guidance for the groundwork of Salem State’s largest campaign. Her analytical approach and tactical recommendations have aided in a successful launch of the quiet phase of our campaign; we surpassed the 40% mark to our goal in under two years."

    — Cheryl Crounse, Vice President, Advancement and Executive Director, Salem State University Foundation, Inc.

  • "As a new executive director of annual giving, I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Kathy Howrigan. In addition to hours of data analysis, she taught me the most important question that should guide every conversation: what problem are you solving for? Years later, her guidance is still helping center my decisions around strategic priorities."

    — Jenny Nathan Simoneaux, Executive Director of Annual and Leadership Giving at Tulane University

  • "Kathy and I worked together at the University of Vermont Foundation in 2021 and 2022. As VP for Strategic Engagement, Kathy brought a wealth of experience and new ideas to the organization that advanced our intensity, approach, and level of engagement with many constituents. Even during the trying times of covid and lockdown she developed key relationships with our on-campus partners. Our alumni engagement scores improved even in a virtual world. If you want new, bold and creative approaches, Kathy is someone who brings this to the table."

    — Jim Keller, Interim President and CEO and Emeriti Board Chair of the UVM Foundation