“We use Veracross and within Veracross, we can track all kinds of information. Not just in fundraising — giving, the funds they’re going to, those kinds of things — we’re tracking all kinds of trends. We can input service hours, event attendance, memberships in clubs and organizations, what sports teams the girls play on, visual and performing arts memberships (are they involved in a play, did they do tech, are they involved in chorale, or our dance company?). We can also use classification codes to track membership in things like the SGA, our development ambassadors, Granddaughter’s Club, Alumna of Chapel Brides (if they get married in the chapel). Because we’re looking for affinity groups later, and how to come back to them as alumni and have mini-reunions and different events. But really when it comes in to data, we are data-driven. We look at trends, what’s working, what’s not, what’s working at other schools. We track alumni engagement by event attendance, giving, and communication. Veracross has a module called Composer that handles all of that, and then those communication pieces are tracked in the constituent record and we look at those things as well. Same thing with moves management when it comes to prospect management, and going out to find major gift donors. It all ties in together for us with Veracross and pulling the data in. Good data in is good data out, so you have to have people dedicated to that.”
Lauren Gerber, Senior Project Manager for Institutional Research
