Steve Manno

Steve Manno has spent nearly his entire career in fundraising, including almost 25 years with CCS. Steve is proud to serve as the chief architect and thought partner for each of his client partnerships. He is committed to empowering and elevating the impact of the nonprofit sector by securing the capital needed to advance these critical missions. As Principal & Managing Director, Steve leads the firm’s work in St. Louis and throughout the Central U.S. He oversees a team of fundraising experts and feels privileged to work with them, as well as with his dedicated client partners.

When approaching any client engagement, Steve grounds himself in the big picture, understanding the desired outcome and potential impact of the initiative at hand. Steve’s passion for his work has led him to embrace the weight of responsibility and ownership of each partnership – from raising funds to build a new church to funding community health initiatives.

Steve has worked with organizations of every demographic and raising nearly $2 billion for a host of charitable needs. His areas of expertise include development assessments and analysis; campaign studies, planning, design, and management; volunteer recruitment and development; board and staff training; start-up philanthropy; and major gift cultivation and solicitation. Steve shares his expertise as co-chair of the firm-wide Healthcare Sector Group. Additionally, Steve serves as one of the firm’s leading executives partnering with institutions of the Catholic Church.

In an effort to further advance fundraising and philanthropy, Steve regularly presents at conferences and webinars across sectors for the Woodmark Group, AHP, various AFP chapters, and even piloted CCS’s first podcast series on philanthropy.

Steve is a native of Syracuse, NY and a graduate of Canisius College, where his passion for philanthropy was born after engaging in grassroots fundraising efforts with classmates. Steve currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri and is a proud father to his son, Sam; together, they enjoy boating, travel, skiing, and fishing.