IMPROVED UTILIZATION OF THE RAISER'S EDGE TO EXPAND FUNDRAISING CAPACITY

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is a nonprofit institution of Jewish higher education. HUC-JIR ordains rabbis and cantors in the Reform tradition, confers master's degrees in Jewish education and Jewish nonprofit management, and offers a Ph.D. in Jewish studies. In response to declining membership revenues, HUC-JIR seeks to expand its fundraising capacity and has invested in The Raiser's Edge, a sophisticated fundraising software to record, track, and monitor its fundraising activities. HUC-JIR enlisted a Capstone team to ensure more effective utilization of The Raiser's Edge software by developing a data-driven performance review system and an implementation strategy. Using information gleaned from interviews with HUC-JIR employees, peer organizations, and a literature review, the team culled industry best practices for leveraging The Raiser's Edge in fundraising operations. The team's final recommendations included a change management plan, key performance indicators, and additional training tools for employees.