Cheryl Crounse

With more than 25 years of fundraising experience, Cheryl Crounse has a passion for high-impact work in higher education and is driven by the opportunities that philanthropy can provide to advance excellence in support of equitable student success.  She was appointed as vice president of advancement of Salem State University and executive director of the University’s in 2019. In her current role, Cheryl is responsible for strategically advancing the fundraising priorities, overseeing nearly $60 million in assets in the Salem State University Foundation, Inc. and works with a 22-member Board of Directors who partner with the university to actively steward and invest the contributed private funds.   

Under her leadership, the university launched the largest campaign in Massachusetts State University history in May of 2023, set to raise $75 million.  Hired by the university in 2011, Cheryl led its first-ever comprehensive campaign which exceeded its goal by raising $26.5 million and doubled the revenue distributed to the university in support of scholarships, on-campus programming and unrestricted support. Nearly 12,000 passionate donors supported the campaign priorities. She previously served as campaign manager, assistant vice president and associate vice president with increasing roles and responsibilities within advancement. 

As a first-generation, Pell-eligible, public higher education student studying business at Oswego State University, she learned the fundamentals of fundraising as a student employee calling alumni for her alma mater. Prior to joining Salem State, Cheryl directed leadership giving, annual giving, pre-campaign assessment planning and advancement operations at Emerson College. She spent the early part of her career shaping and significantly growing annual giving programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. 

Cheryl is engaged in her community including serving on the Board of Lynn Museum/Arts, as a Board of Director at St. Jean’s Credit Union and started a scholarship at her alma mater. She enjoys all kinds of travel including spending quality time with her family in West Valley, a rural community south of Buffalo, NY. 

Helping to secure philanthropic support to keep Salem State affordable for generations to come.