From Insight to Impact: How Relationship Insights and Pipeline Development Are Reshaping Advancement
About
In the wake of rapid technological evolution, the Relationship Insights and Pipeline Development teams at the OSU Foundation have redefined what it means to be data-driven in higher education advancement. This session builds on the foundational conversation around AI and automation in advancement services, diving deeper into how two specialized teams transformed their operations, skillsets, and strategic influence to meet the moment.

Attendees will explore how the Relationship Insights team pivoted from traditional prospect research to a more analytical, partnered-based model by leveraging tools like Tableau, SQL, and AI/ML to deliver actionable intelligence that drives fundraising decisions. Meanwhile, the Pipeline Development team took ownership of the donor pipeline’s technical architecture, enabling scalable, predictive analytics and real-time portfolio optimization.

This session will unpack the dual-track strategy that empowered both teams to thrive: one focused on building advanced analytical tools, and the other on translating data into strategic guidance for development officers. We’ll share lessons learned from upskilling staff, reimagining team structures, and embedding analytics and AI into everyday advancement workflows.

Whether you're leading a relationship management/research team, managing advancement operations, or navigating organizational change, this session offers a roadmap for harnessing technology to elevate your team’s impact. Join us to learn how the OSU Foundation’s Relationship Insights and Pipeline Development teams are not just adapting to change, they’re driving it. 


Speakers:
Matthew Smith, Senior Director of Relationship Insights & Analytics at the Oregon State University (OSU) Foundation
Drew Phillips, Director of Pipeline Development at the Oregon State University Foundation
Meet the Speakers



Matthew Smith
, Senior Director of Relationship Insights & Analytics at the Oregon State University (OSU) Foundation

Matthew Smith is the Senior Director of Relationship Insights & Analytics at the Oregon State University (OSU) Foundation. With over 13 years of experience in philanthropy, Matt came to the OSU Foundation in 2019 from Baltimore, Maryland, where he was the Data Analytics Manager at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international relief non-profit. Prior to CRS Matt worked in higher education and healthcare fundraising, focusing primarily on data analytics and relationship management. Matt has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He’s currently working on his second bachelor’s degree in computer science at Oregon State University. 




Drew Phillips
, Director of Pipeline Development at the Oregon State University Foundation

Drew Phillips is the Director of Pipeline Development at the Oregon State University Foundation, where he is responsible for the overall orchestration of pipeline development efforts at OSUF. Drew's work includes driving lead generation, building and optimizing OSUF's discovery program, providing oversight and administration of its donor experience (DXO) program, and more.  Drew started his career at OSUF in 2010, shortly after graduating from their heated rival, the University of Oregon. Having spent the last 15 years working his way from administrative assistant to his current role, he has been fortunate to fill a number of roles with increasing responsibility at OSUF.  On the weekends you can find him regaling his wife with obscure NBA facts that no well-adjusted person could possibly find interesting. Sorry, Erin. 


Summary
Availability:
Registration Required
Location:
Online Meeting
Date / Time:
Feb 18, 2026 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
Credit Offered:
No Credit Offered
Powered By