Location
Ames, Iowa
Sector
Education

Last year, Iowa State University Foundation (ISUF) implemented Salesforce and now wanted a third-party assessment of its structure and skills to inform long-term priorities for streamlining and supporting business processes. In addition, the University wanted guidelines on kickstarting data governance initiatives.

The assessment began with analyzing ISUF’s information management and gift administration business processes against industry standards and best practices, with an emphasis on data integrity. Next, a review of functional roles related to gift entry and the general ledger transfer process was conducted, followed by an assessment of ISUF’s utilization of technology relative to these teams and their respective goals. Policies and procedures related to gift processing and related activities were also evaluated, along with reconciliation activities and data utilization. And finally, an analysis of the overall team structure with regard to configuration, capacity, and future needs was completed. The end result was a comprehensive report with recommendations on structure realignment and process changes along with best practice guidelines on data governance.

Following the implementation of a new CRM, our collaboration with BWF meant that we would review processes and structure our advancement services team with a fresh set of eyes, thereby identifying efficiencies and strengthening those processes based on best practices.
Emily Hager
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer • Iowa State University Foundation

The Iowa State Foundation team immediately acted on the report and has begun making structural changes and assigning staff to address data governance needs. For ISUF, the assessment provided the tools and support to thoughtfully restructure the advancement services team to create those efficiencies and team unity. By focusing their immediate attention on creating a unified team structure, they are building a solid foundation to create efficiencies and implement innovative strategies for the future.

The Iowa State Foundation utilized the CRM Implementation service offered by BWF to improve their foundation operations. To learn more about this solution, click here.