Project Updates

• February 12, 2024: UA Transition to Zoom Phones in March

  February 12, 2024: UA Transition to Zoom Phones in March

  ITS is working on transitioning campus phone lines to Zoom Phone Services as part of the ITS Digital Transformation initiative.  ITS has invested in the unified, modern telephony platform (Zoom Phone Services) to replace outdated and soon-to-be unsupported technology. This new, reliable, and flexible phone service will keep UCR connected and allow everyone to communicate more effectively and efficiently. ITS has currently scheduled University Advancement to migrate to our ORG’s phone lines to Zoom in March. ITS is currently validating phone information and we will have a “go-live” date soon. As part of the transition, ITS will be providing step-by-step guidance on Zoom Phone configuration, desktop and mobile app usage, and active call management via a training session. In addition, live support will be available to our team during the migration to ensure a smooth transition. To learn more about Zoom Phone Services, including frequently asked questions, please visit the Zoom Phone Services webpage.

• February 5, 2024: UA Selects Attain Partners to Serve as Implementation Consultants

  February 5, 2024: UA Selects Attain Partners to Serve as Implementation Consultants

  After a thorough evaluation of two potential implementation consultant partners, the UA Leadership Team has selected Attain Partners to help realize our UA Technology Transformation goals. The scope of work will include implementation of both ascend/Salesforce (including event management and alumni/donor digital portals) and Marketing Cloud. This covers design and configuration, data migration, data integration, and testing. Their engagement will also provide comprehensive change management programming for the entire UA staff as well as developing detailed training and adoption plans. Throughout the implementation they will lend expertise in project management and business process consulting to ensure we reach our desired end state.

  Attain Partners is a professional services firm dedicated to delivering impactful results in the higher education and nonprofit sectors. Attain has completed 1,000+ Salesforce projects since 2005 and maintains a 4.97 out of 5 Customer Satisfaction score. They were recently awarded the Salesforce.org 2022 Education Partner of the Year, a strong testament to their commitment to client success. Additionally, Attain Partners were the first certified implementation partner for UC Innovation/ascend, and their advancement technology practice works solely with ascend/Salesforce implementations.

  Lastly, we are pleased to announce that Salesforce has cleared procurement, and leveraging UC systemwide Salesforce agreement, UA now has an agreement in place to meet our needs for this project. We remain on track for a formal kick-off this Spring.

• December 15, 2023: UA Selects ascend CRM

  December 15, 2023: UA Selects ascend CRM
  
  The UA Leadership Team endorsed a recommendation from a cross-functional Advancement CRM Selection Workgroup made up of UA subject matter experts to move forward with procuring ascend by UC Innovation to replace Raiser’s Edge as Advancement’s next CRM. Ascend is an Independent Software Vendor that provides all-in-one fundraising and constituent engagement solutions built natively on the Salesforce CRM platform. Ascend is one of two such solutions certified and available natively on the Salesforce App Exchange. This means that ascend can be installed on top of our Salesforce instance, like an app installed on a smartphone. This will allow us to leverage the power and capabilities of Salesforce and a single data model, thus achieving our outcomes of a more integrated technology landscape for University Advancement. Following this recommendation and endorsement, we will begin the procurement process with ascend.
  Click here to read the workgroup’s full recommendation and findings.
  Thanks to the Advancement CRM Selection Workgroup members:

  • Mai Vang, Lead
  • Lisa Wilson, Gift Administration
  • Ian Foster, Stewardship
  • Matt Heimdahl, Prospect Data Analytics
  • Kimberley Harvie, Prospect Moves Management
  • Dalyn Montgomery, Alumni Engagement Marketing/Analytics
  • Nesha Crossman, Unit-based Development
  • Crystal Sankey, Central-based Development
  • Iris Tam, CMT
  • Teri Eckman, Central ITS
  • Kim McDade, Executive Sponsor
  • Josh Carter, Executive Sponsor
•  October 25, 2023: VCUA Formally Announces UA’s Transition to Salesforce

   October 25, 2023: VCUA Formally Announces UA’s Transition to Salesforce

  Message from VC Monique Dozier, distributed to all of UA in her VCUA Monthly Message: October 2023:
  University Advancement needs a technology infrastructure that fully supports our ambitious goals. Unfortunately, our team currently relies on disparate tech solutions that aren’t up to the task and don’t easily support data exchange.
  Our present primary software solution, Raiser’s Edge, is a legacy database that can’t offer what we truly need: a 360-degree view of all constituencies that University Advancement serves across each department.
  To that end, UA is working closely with our ITS partners to properly plan our transition to the Salesforce ecosystem.
  The goals of our UA Technology Transformation are:

  • A shared CRM that all UA staff can use to make relationship management more dynamic and personalized.
  • Native data integration throughout UA and the UCR campus, aligned with a master data management strategy.
  • Advanced analytics and reporting capabilities.
  • Opportunities to reduce manual workload through automation.

   As a member of UA staff, you have a vital role to play in bringing this vision to life.