5 Signs Your Advancement Tech is Limiting Fundraising Growth

By David Smittle, Senior Consultant, & Judson Matthews, Senior Consultant

Higher ed advancement teams are being asked to do more with less: raise more funds, strengthen alumni relationships, create more personalized donor experiences. They’re often doing so with lean and/or inexperienced teams.

If these obstacles weren’t enough, these smaller, younger teams are usually working with antiquated advancement technology designed for an entirely different fundraising reality.

Old advancement systems tend to carry a lot of baggage, among them operational inefficiencies and limited visibility into comprehensive constituent data that make it difficult to deliver the personalized experiences that today’s donors expect.

Part of tech modernization isn’t just about replacing software, but the more crucial purpose modernization serves: to create a foundation that allows advancement teams to build stronger relationships, improve fundraising outcomes, and support long-term institutional goals.      

If you’re unsure of whether your advancement tech is holding you back, the experts at SIG offer 5 warning signs to help you assess your situation. See if any of the following sounds familiar…

Sign 1: Your Data Lives Everywhere

Many advancement offices struggle with donor information scattered across multiple systems: an advancement database or CRM, one or more event management platforms, separate email marketing tool(s).

Some offices have a different product for texting, another for managing volunteers, still another for online giving (plus a separate platform for giving day). And of course, one-off spreadsheets, both in advancement and scattered across campus.

All the while, fundraisers are often trying to work in a stand-alone system that may not be properly integrated with the main CRM.

When data exists in silos, you end up spending more time searching for information than you do using your data to engage with donors. You should be able to easily view a prospect or donor’s complete history and relevant information all in one place. Your team should be able to access data in real time. And different departments should all be working with the same information.

Sign 2: Reporting Requires Too Much Manual Work

How long does it take your team to answer questions like “Which campaigns generated the highest donor engagement?” Or “Which alumni are most likely to give?” And finally, “Which major gift opportunities require attention?” 

If it takes Herculean manual effort to find answers to the above questions, your tech is slowing you down. Modern advancement platforms should provide actionable insights and proactively push relevant data to users, not create additional administrative work.

Sign 3: Donor Expectations Have Changed

Today’s donors expect experiences comparable to those offered by consumer brands. They want communication that is personalized and delivered across multiple channels. They want the ability to choose from self-service options (preferably on their phones). And they expect relevant, timely interactions.

Institutions that rely on outdated systems often struggle to meet these expectations.

Sign 4: Your Team Is Working Around the Technology

One of the clearest warning signs is when staff members develop workarounds like shadow databases, manual spreadsheets, and external tracking systems via 3^rd party vendors or products. They attempt to rationalize these workarounds because they believe they won’t be able to accomplish the work in their main database or system.

These workarounds often result in duplicate data entry and are a clear indication that the system no longer supports the institution’s goals and the user’s needs.

Sign 5: Technology Is Driving Decisions Instead of Strategy

Technology should support your fundraising strategy, not define it.

Before considering a platform change, ask yourself:

• What fundraising goals are we trying to achieve?
• What experiences do we want to create for our alumni and donors?
• What processes are creating friction?
• What data do we need to make better decisions?

The Cost of Tech Debt…And How CRM Consolidation Can Help 

We see it on almost every project: an inordinate amount of time spent on manual processing and data scattered across multiple systems. We often refer to this as tech debt.

The accumulated cost of shortcuts, attempts at quick fixes, and outdated software or systems makes work slower, riskier, and more expensive. It wastes staff time that could be better spent supporting fundraising, which directly impacts an institution’s ability to pivot and improve business processes, and limits effective reporting and user consumption.

The fix often starts with consolidating everything in one main CRM. A unified platform can strengthen every area of advancement, from communications and events to self-service tools for alumni, parents, and donors. What’s more, a consolidated CRM ultimately drives better fundraising results.

If the 5 warning signs in this article sound familiar, consider having SIG evaluate your business processes and determine whether it’s time to convert to a modern fundraising CRM. We can help remove the barriers holding back your fundraising, and give your team more time for the work that raises money.