Matthew S. Helmer is committed to elevating the way donors experience mission-driven organizations. His philosophy is that every experience should be designed from a meaningful, well-articulated purpose—without it, the moment becomes something that just happens.

A higher education advancement professional with a background in experience design, fundraising, team development and constituent engagement, he currently serves as assistant vice president for university advancement at Colorado State University. In this role, he provides leadership to the Engagement team in creating strategy and tactical implementation of communications, donor relations and event experiences for CSU's community of donors, alumni and friends.

Known for a love of novel ideas, Helmer led an innovative reorganization at CSU in 2010, consolidating responsibility for all alumni, donor and university events under the CSU Events umbrella. This organizational shift opened the door for a candid conversation about the power of purposeful events, leading to a more strategic approach to engagement and significantly contributing to more than five consecutive years of record-breaking fundraising results. CSU recently surpassed the $1B goal in its "State Your Purpose" campaign—nearly two years ahead of schedule in a campaign that has set new benchmarks for giving, including total number of donors, alumni participation rates and the largest single gift.

A frequent speaker for industry associations and a nonprofit consultant, he specializes in experience design, ideation and innovation, and crafting purpose-driven, metrics-based programs.