Introducing Dr. Matt Smith, Chief Development Officer

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend welcomes Matt Smith, PhD as its Chief Development Officer. Matt will lead the areas of Development, Marketing, and Mission Advancement.  Matt joins Catholic Charities from Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) Institute for Catholic Innovation where he served most recently as Director of Institutional Advancement and Strategic Alliances. Matt led OSV’s first fundraising efforts in its 112-year history. Prior to OSV, Matt was on the faculty at the University of Saint Francis for seventeen years, the last seven as Vice President of Institutional Advancement, where he led two capital campaigns, and overall fundraising and marketing.

“I am very excited to work side by side with Matt to move our Mission forward and increase our capacity to serve the most vulnerable in our community,” said Dan Florin, CEO of Catholic Charities Fort Wayne – South Bend.  “Matt has a heart for our Mission and has the proven experience to make an immediate difference for our clients.”   

Smith commented, “it is an honor to join Catholic Charities at this time as it celebrates 100 years of serving “all those in need as Christ calls us to do” within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. I see tremendous potential to increase our capacity to make a difference in our community and I look forward to working with Dan, the management team and all our benefactors to make this happen.”

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s and PhD from Purdue University. He is originally from Fort Wayne and he and his wife, Kari, have two children attending Bishop Dwenger High School.