Transforming Advancement Operations with Slate

Institutional Profile

Harding University set out to modernize its advancement operations after successfully implementing Slate for Admissions. With a new Vice President for Advancement who was already familiar with Slate, the institution chose to adopt Slate Advancement to replace a legacy environment built on Raiser’s Edge and ActiveEcho.

Challenge

• Advancement data was spread across systems, making reliable reporting difficult without manual work.
• IT and Advancement were new to modern advancement system design, increasing risk in data modeling and workflow design.
• Leadership needed clearer fundraising insight, but requirements evolved over time.
• Staff were unprepared for the operational and cultural shifts required by the move to a new advancement platform.
• The project needed to go live before the Raiser’s Edge contract expired, compressing the transition window.
• The university needed to modernize its advancement environment within clear cost constraints while minimizing long-term dependency on external resources.

Solutions

Deep Advancement Domain Alignment

• Provided senior advancement architecture leadership, designed core workflows, and built lasting internal capability.
• Sequenced foundational capabilities first to control costs and enable Harding to own ongoing configuration and enhancements.

Advancement Data Model and Workflow Design

• Designed core advancement constructs, including gifts, pledges, restricted funds, and endowments within Slate.
• Clarified business rules and classifications critical for accurate financial reporting and stewardship.

Reporting & Executive Visibility

• Worked with leadership to translate high-level questions into concrete reporting requirements.
• Built reports that delivered meaningful, accurate insight rather than ad hoc data extracts.

Staff Enablement & Knowledge Transfer

• Paired SIG consultants with Harding’s dedicated advancement business analyst for hands-on learning.
• Conducted multiple on-site sessions and ongoing weekly working meetings.
• Transitioned ownership of day-to-day system operation to Harding’s internal team.

Integration with Finance

• Integrated Slate Advancement with Banner via Constituent to ensure all gifts flowed accurately into financial systems.

Outcomes

• The project launched in just six months, aligning with the expiration of the legacy system contract.
• Clear ownership was established between IT and Advancement, improving data accuracy and governance.
• Established a sustainable operating model by building internal expertise and sequencing implementation priorities, helping avoid long-term cost escalation.
• Harding’s leadership gained access to accurate, actionable fundraising data with significantly less manual effort.
• SIG consultants helped build Harding’s internal capability; the University’s advancement analyst now designs and maintains reports and workflows independently.
• Advancement, IT, and Finance now enjoy stronger cross-functional alignment, operating from a shared system of record for fundraising data.

Future Outlook

Harding University continues to expand its use of Slate Advancement by enhancing executive dashboards and fundraising performance reporting, expanding staff self-service reporting, and strengthening advancement governance and data quality. The implementation now serves as a foundation for long-term advancement growth and modernization.