In Brief
Adoption of modern technology solutions creates a foundation for fundraising growth
- Emory University, an R1 research university, replaced its outdated advancement technology with a Salesforce-native ecosystem to increase personalization and ease of use.
- Multiple teams worked swiftly to address immediate needs while also supporting long-term goals to leverage emerging technology innovations and facilitate growth.
- Emory continues to refine and stabilize the new system while exploring opportunities for continuous improvement.
When the provider of the decades-old advancement software used by the Emory University Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement ceased supporting its product, Advancement and Office of Information Technology leadership collaborated on an ambitious technology ecosystem upgrade. Emory embraced this opportunity to modernize its technology, streamline its business processes, enable autonomy through improved reporting and data visualization, and enhance fundraising and operational productivity.
An existing user of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Emory invested in a comprehensive Salesforce-native advancement solution that would make it easier for front-line fundraisers to do their jobs, facilitate fundraising growth, and achieve long-term advancement goals.
Seeking an implementation provider with significant expertise in higher education, advancement, and Salesforce and Affinaquest technology, Emory selected Huron to implement, integrate, and optimize multiple solutions, including Affinaquest Advancement RM, Blackthorn event management, Apsona document generation, and Salesforce Maps, Inbox, and Sales Engagement.
Enabling digital modernization
Launched during an active fundraising campaign, the project quickly gained momentum. Teams worked swiftly to address immediate needs while also supporting long-term goals to modernize capabilities and adopt emerging technology innovations.
Huron contributed expertise in sprint management, deployment automation, and custom code development to help configure the platform, convert data, and develop dashboards and reports.
Huron also assisted Emory with providing loader templates for critical processes, augmenting the integration team's staffing for third-party software implementation, and developing user training and communications programs.
Consistent communication
Keeping stakeholders informed about the project timelines, deliverables, and benefits was critical for a successful implementation.
In addition to presenting updates in university town halls, the Emory advancement team:
- Established an ambassador program
- Distributed an email series
- Developed project overview documents
- Hosted a podcast featuring updates from key stakeholders
Continuous improvement
Emory continues to refine and stabilize the new system and is exploring opportunities for continuous improvement, especially in areas related to data, analytics, and machine learning.
Download the Tambellini Group case study for more details about Emory’s technology transformation.
Download the case study