Leveraging Insights From Corporate Sales to Accelerate Data-Driven Success in University Fundraising

This journal article examines the parallels between sales and fundraising. It examines analytics teams at large corporate sales organizations and university fundraising organizations. In addition, the article compares the overall missions of each organization type, specific roles, responsibilities, priorities, and challenges faced by their respective analytics professionals. Substantial parallels create a tremendous opportunity for universities to expand the network of organizations to which they can look for replicable examples of data-driven growth strategies.

Parallels between sales and fundraising are worth leveraging

This concept is applicable to universities regardless of timing or macroeconomic trends. However, in times of depressed economic conditions, the need for creativity when building fundraising strategies takes on greater relevance. Thus, the recommendation is for universities to actively leverage some of the successful strategic data practices typically associated with corporate sales organizations. The article concludes with examples of such practices. Included is a discussion of adaptable technical and quantitative tools that address common challenges. Finally, it provides a particularly detailed look at how predictive models can be crafted to address the effects of human bias.

Dries, J., & Kits van Heyningen, H. (2021) Leveraging Insights From Other Industries to Accelerate Data-Driven Success in University Fundraising. Journal of Advancement Analytics, 1(1), 44-53.

Full article: https://utpress.utexas.edu/journals