Relentless Partner Consulting
At Relentless Partner, our mission is to empower nonprofit organizations to achieve their fundraising goals through strategic, relationship-driven counsel. We are dedicated to building lasting partnerships that result in transformational gifts and sustainable growth, ensuring that your mission thrives.
Mandy Cloninger
CEO & Owner
Mandelyn Cloninger, CFRE, is a nonprofit leader, charismatic spokesperson, and a results-driven executive. With 20 years of experience raising hundreds of millions of dollars, cultivating transformational relationships with diverse constituencies, she has built capacity, scale, and scope in higher education, health care, and community-based nonprofits.
Mandy is deeply committed to social justice and humanitarian efforts, both globally and locally. Her career is driven by an unwavering passion for relationship-based fundraising within the corporate nonprofit sector.​
Relentless Partner is your trusted ally in navigating the complexities of major and capital gift fundraising. With a deep commitment to relationship-based strategies, we act as your in-house counsel, providing expert guidance and innovative solutions tailored to your nonprofit's unique needs. Whether you're seeking to secure transformative donations or build a robust foundation for future growth, our collaborative approach ensures that your organization is positioned for success. Together, we can turn your vision into reality, one meaningful relationship at a time.
Get to Know Our CEO
Mandy Cloninger has spent the last decade leading community-based nonprofits focused on improving health and well-being for those facing hunger, food insecurity, and homelessness.
As Chief Impact Officer of Feeding Tampa Bay, she was part of a dynamic leadership and fund-raising team that achieved historic levels of giving, engaged more than 20,000 new donors, and served more than 90 million meals.
Mandy's expertise in relationship-based fundraising and her role as in-house fundraising counsel has made a significant impact, including doubling fundraising efforts at Trinity Cafe and securing $2 million in start-up funding for two new locations.
She led the preparation of over a million frozen meals during the pandemic through Trinity Cafe and restaurant partners, winning seed funding to scale a social enterprise from 5,000 to 40,000 weekly meals. As Executive Director of Trinity Cafe, she doubled fundraising, secured over $1 million in start-up funding for a new location, and facilitated the merger with Feeding Tampa Bay.
Her leadership extends to managing high- performing development teams, securing transformational gifts, and overseeing capital campaigns that raised more than $75 million.
She is a passionate advocate for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, actively involved in mission work and DEI initiatives. With a strong educational background and extensive nonprofit experience, Mandy is committed to creating meaningful social impact.
Training & Speaking Engagements
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Nonprofit Leadership Center (2023, 2024), Secure More Strategic Partnerships & Achieve Collective Impact, Top 10 Trends Fueling Thriving Nonprofits (2023 Leadership Conference)
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AFP (Association of Fund Raising Professionals) Southwest Florida Chapter (2024), Diversify, Diversify, Diversify: Cultivating Donor Diversity with Leadership, Authenticity & Lived Experience (2023)
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Tiger Bay panel talks alleviating food insecurity, hunger in St. Pete, by Bill Young
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Social Venture Partners, Fast Pitch 2020, Awarded Runner-Up & $10,000 Grant for Feeding Tampa Bay & Trinity Cafe’s Meals on the Go, a social enterprise
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SVP Tampa Bay Class of 2020 Fast Pitch Interview: Meet SVP Tampa Bay Class of 2020: Feeding Tampa Bay, St Pete Catalyst
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Sunday Conversation: Trinity Cafe’s Mandy Cloninger revels in her ‘year of abundance,’ By Ernest Hooper
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For Good: Rising stars guide Tampa Bay Area nonprofits, by Megan Hendricks
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AFP (Association of Fund Raising Professionals) Planet Philanthropy
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Diversify, Diversify, Diversify: Cultivating Donor Diversity with Leadership, Authenticity & Lived Experience (2023
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The Pandemic Tipping Point: Leveraging your brand, donors and engagement to catapult your giving, Co-presenters Kelley Sims, Andrea Kitchen (2021)
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Relentless Relationship Building (2019)
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6 Feet Under: You’re Leaving Money on the Table – Building a Planned Giving Program, Co-presenter Jennifer Moore, CFRE (2019)
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Relentless Relationship Building (2017)
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Doing the Two-Step with your CEO to Raise Major Gifts (2017)
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Doin’ the Hustle: Discovery Calls for Beginners, Co-presenter Jennifer Moore, CFRE (2017)
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National Sunshine Summit, Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger
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Meals on the Go: Innovation & Scaling During COVID-19 (October 2020)
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Dignity Serves (2017)
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Nonprofit Leadership Center Leadership Conference Breakout Session – Stop, Collaborate and Listen (Spring 2019)
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AFP Nature Coast Chapter, Relentless Relationship Building (Fall 2018), Get on the CFRE Express (Fall 2016)
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A Disciple’s Path DVD, Invited Testimony, By James A. Harnish, Justin LaRosa (June 2018)
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Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Nonprofit CEO Leadership Program, Two-Stepping with your CEO to Raise Major Gifts (2017)
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Florida Council for Resource Development Conference, Relentless Relationship Building (Fall 2017)
Writing
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Mercy & Meadows, Mandy’s latest writing project, was inspired by a hiking and camping adventure to Yellowstone National Park in 2021.
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Mental Health on my Mind, May 2021
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Don’t Create a Culture of Begging, PRNewschannel.com (September 6, 2017)
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Working to solve housing, hunger by Mandy Cloninger, Letters Tampa Bay Times (June 3, 2016)
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A Community Solution: Let’s End Homelessness & Hunger by Mandy Cloninger, Trinity Cafe (June 1, 2016)
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Israel & Rotary Travel Blog (May-June 2012)
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Faith & Missions Travel Blog (Hyde Park United Methodist Church, 11Magnolia, Cuba & Nicaragua)