Princeton University Office of Development Sees “A Paradigm Shift” with Tableau

Princeton University's Office of Development, responsible for initiating and nurturing donor relationships, was struggling with time-consuming, error-prone manual reporting processes. Staffers had to dig through several different reports to answer questions, a process that was not only time-consuming but also prone to mistakes. Viewing data in Excel made it difficult to notice results that didn’t quite make sense—data entry errors or outliers that could indicate significant risks or opportunities. The major gifts team each managed a pool of approximately 200 prospects—far too many people to rely on memory to manage contacts. With no dedicated tools to visualize overall engagement, the office relied on large list reports and manual review of individual records to make sure prospect and donor relationships were adequately tended. The research analytics team was responsible for reporting high-level campaign metrics to university trustees and other top executives, but this was another time-consuming, manual effort.

Princeton University, the fourth-oldest university in the United States, attracts the highest caliber of faculty, staff, and students. The Office of Development at Princeton—the fundraising arm of the university—supports this legacy of excellence through a number of giving programs. The Office of Development plays a significant part in that effort, initiating and nurturing donor relationships. Its work also supports other crucial aspects of Princeton’s mission. The Office of Development maintained in-depth transactional giving data and relationship management data, but staffers often had to dig through several different reports to answer questions—a time-consuming, manual effort with potential for mistakes.