Biography
Matt Stokes serves as Senior Director of Development at Johnson C. Smith University, where he helps advance the university’s philanthropic priorities through strategic relationship building, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, and major gift fundraising.
Matt began his fundraising journey as a student caller at Oberlin College, where he connected with alumni, parents, and friends to raise support for student scholarships and financial aid. The work was deeply personal. Matt attended Oberlin on a full-tuition leadership scholarship through the Posse Foundation, so with every call, he was advocating not only for his peers, but also for students whose experiences reflected his own. That early experience helped shape a career rooted in the belief that philanthropy can expand access, create opportunity, and transform lives.
A fundraising leader with more than a decade of experience, Matt has helped support more than $35 million in philanthropic investment for education-focused and mission-driven organizations. Prior to joining JCSU, he served as a gift officer at Yale University, where he partnered with alumni and friends across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and contributed to Yale’s historic $7.4 billion For Humanity campaign. His career also includes advancement and development roles with Morehouse College, Posse Atlanta, Berea College, Christopher House, Holy Trinity High School, and Oberlin College.
Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Western Kentucky University. He is currently pursuing an MBA at North Carolina A&T State University. He is passionate about expanding educational access and opportunity and building the relationships and philanthropic partnerships that help institutions and students thrive.
Outside of work, Matt enjoys brunching, traveling, and writing. A Chicago native and lifelong history buff, he makes time to explore new places, visit historic sites and landmarks, and journal about what he discovers along the way. He is also a slam poet, a creative passion that began in high school. At the heart of both his personal and professional life is a strong belief in community. Matt strives to foster meaningful connections wherever he goes, grounded in a simple belief: no one succeeds alone.
