Matthew G. Kupec | SIU Foundation | SIU

Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations & CEO

Matt Kupec became the SIU Foundation Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2020 after serving as the Foundation’s senior in-house fundraising counsel since November 2018. He is a nationally recognized fundraising professional and under his leadership the organizations he has served have raised nearly $5 billion. 

In his role as CEO, Matt serves as SIU’s chief development officer and provides strategic oversight and leadership in directing SIU’s Forever SIU Campaign. Under his leadership at the Foundation, the original $75 million campaign goal was successfully raised and the goal raised to $200 million. The Foundation also raised a record-setting $28.5 million in FY20, a 60% increase of $11,457,000 than had been raised the previous year.

Matt’s fundraising career spans three decades where he has led the fundraising programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and Hofstra University. He has successfully directed four major fundraising campaigns including the $2.38 billion Carolina First Campaign. At the time of its completion, it was the 5^th largest university campaign in U.S. history.

Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in educational administration from Hofstra University. As an undergraduate at UNC, Matt was a record-breaking four-year starting quarterback for the UNC football team. He was the first player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to be named most valuable player of two bowl games.