Matt Watkins is the CEO of Watkins Public Affairs, a Chicago-based public affairs firm that helps communities, nonprofits, and local governments design stronger programs and secure the resources to bring them to life. He has helped partners raise more than $1.7 billion in federal, state, philanthropic, and private funding across more than forty states.
Matt supports organizations in turning good ideas into clear, funded, and workable initiatives by blending policy analysis, program design, and narrative strategy. His work focuses on expanding economic mobility and improving everyday quality of life for the people most affected by policy decisions.
He writes a regular column for the Chronicle of Philanthropy and has bylines in Slate, Governing, and other national outlets. He is a current fellow in the Chicago Leadership Circle through the University of Chicago and Crain’s Chicago Business and is pursuing his Master of Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University part time.
Through the Change Collective, Matt hopes to help communities and organizations adapt to today’s hostile policy and political environment by strengthening partnerships, sharing capacity, and closing growing funding gaps. He lives in Lakeview East in Chicago.