SIG’s Ongoing Slate Support Transforms Advancement Operations at John Carroll University

Background 

John Carroll University is a private Jesuit university recognized for academic excellence, leadership development, and a strong commitment to student success. To support advancement operations and strengthen alumni and donor engagement, the university utilizes Slate for Advancement. 

As internal priorities evolved and operational demands increased, John Carroll University sought a flexible support model that could provide expert guidance, responsive assistance, and continuous optimization without the need for additional internal headcount.  

SIG provided John Carroll University with ongoing access to experienced Slate specialists focused on helping the advancement team maximize platform value, improve efficiency, and strengthen fundraising operations. 

The Challenges 

Like many institutions, John Carroll University had invested in Slate for Advancement but recognized untapped potential within the platform. They also faced a number of challenges:  

• Limited Internal Capacity.  As team responsibilities expanded and available bandwidth tightened, leadership needed a practical way to access deeper expertise while maintaining momentum on day-to-day priorities. Staff simply didn’t have the time necessary for deeper system optimization and strategic enhancements.  

• Reporting and Visibility Needs. Leadership wanted clearer insight into fundraiser activity, donor pipelines, and performance trends.  

• Engagement Complexity. Managing reunions, registration, giving, and alumni outreach required more streamlined and connected processes.  

In short, John Carroll University wanted to move beyond basic platform maintenance and use Slate more strategically to support reporting, engagement, stewardship, and advancement performance. To do so, they’d need consistent support — not just one-time project help. 

The Solution 

Ongoing Slate Optimization 

Rather than hiring additional staff or engaging in a large consulting project, the university chose a scalable partnership with SIG that provided responsive assistance, strategic guidance, and hands-on support exactly when they needed it.  

Support areas included: 

• Slate best practices and strategic advisory  

• Troubleshooting and rapid-response support  

• Workflow recommendations  

• Configuration improvements  

• Advancement process optimization  

• Day-to-day operational support  

Reporting & Leadership Visibility 

SIG also helped strengthen reporting capabilities and decision-making visibility. 

Examples included: 

• Gift officer dashboards  

• Monthly reports for deans and leadership  

• Activity tracking dashboards  

• Weekly and monthly performance reporting  

Advancement Engagement Support 

The partnership enabled stronger use of Slate for engagement initiatives such as: 

• Reunion and event registration  

• Online giving forms connected to constituent records  

• Communication workflows  

• Email and text outreach support  

Stewardship Enhancements 

John Carroll University also benefited from more intentional donor stewardship processes, including: 

• Follow-up accountability workflows  

• Tiered outreach planning  

• Greater visibility into relationship management activity 

Embedded Support Model 

Rather than functioning as an outside vendor, SIG became a dependable extension of the advancement team. 

The university benefited from: 

• Consistent access to experienced specialists  

• Fast response times  

• Higher education-specific expertise  

• Flexible support without adding headcount  

• Ongoing continuity and institutional familiarity  

This model allowed John Carroll University to move faster, solve issues efficiently, and focus internal resources where they mattered most. 

Key Outcomes 

Expanded Use of Slate 

John Carroll University significantly increased how much the institution relies on Slate to power advancement operations. 

Stronger Operational Efficiency 

Processes became more organized, scalable, and easier to manage across teams. 

Better Leadership Visibility 

Improved dashboards and reporting gave stakeholders clearer insight into fundraising progress and team activity. 

Improved Donor Stewardship 

More structured follow-up processes supported stronger donor engagement and accountability. 

Eric Hodges, Director of Advancement Services at John Carroll University, had this to say about their team’s partnership with SIG: “Working with SIG has been extraordinary. Their team is highly knowledgeable, incredibly responsive, and committed to seeing every issue through to resolution. Because of their partnership, we’ve accomplished more with Slate in the last few years than we did in the early years of the platform. They’ve become a trusted extension of our team.” 

Outlook 

John Carroll University continues identifying new ways to leverage Slate to strengthen advancement outcomes, deepen alumni engagement, and improve operational performance. 

With SIG as a trusted partner, the university is well positioned to continue evolving its advancement strategy while staying focused on its mission, relationships, and long-term growth.