20+ years of Building Advocacy Fires.
Campfire Strategies was founded by Dr. Matthew J. Camp on a conviction forged over 20 years in politics, higher education, and community organizing: that nonprofits can change the world — if they learn to engage the political systems that shape it.
Matt was Vice President at the Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York, overseeing government affairs and education policy for a coalition of 100+ colleges. Prior to that, he was founding Director of Government Relations & Community Engagement at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he built a government relations operation from scratch — cultivating relationships with city, state, and federal officials, overseeing community engagement for 94,000 alumni, and co-founding TC Take Action, a student-led advocacy initiative that trained a new generation of advocates. Earlier, he worked in government relations work for Princeton University and was staff assistant for two U.S. Senators.
He is the author of Tend, which explores how mindfulness and fire-building practices can sustain advocates through the long work of political change. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Politics & Education from Columbia University, a Masters of Public Policy from Rutgers University, and a B.A. with distinction from the University of Delaware. He is based in Massachusetts.