Melbourne, Australia
Matt Smith is a senior philanthropy and stakeholder engagement professional with a background spanning the university and corporate sectors. He currently is currently Head of Philanthropy at Teach Australia.
With more than 15 years of experience, Matt has led and supported major campaigns including Monash University’s Change it. For Future Generations campaign, which raised over $1 billion to support transformative research initiatives. His focus areas have included health, mental health, neuroscience, and global education equity.
Before joining Monash, Matt held development and communication roles at the University of Melbourne and Telstra, where he specialised in stakeholder alignment, social impact strategy, and strategic communications. Known for his thoughtful donor stewardship and ability to build trust with high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners, and philanthropic foundations, Matt has secured multi-million-dollar gifts and helped establish funding for research chairs, innovation hubs, and student-focused programs.
Matt brings valuable experience in coordinating across complex institutions, creating integrated campaign strategies, and translating academic vision into community impact. His insights into donor behaviour, philanthropic trends, and major gift cultivation are closely aligned with the Chris Jagger Foundation’s mission to advance brain health and mental wellbeing through innovative research and sound-based therapies.
