Advancement Solutions
Department lead: Natalie Spring, assistant vice president, Advancement Solutions
Advancement Solutions manages all business intelligence, technical system deployment, prospect development guidance and gift accounting that drive engagement and fundraising strategy. This includes the accuracy and relevancy of all constituent data, the overall functionality and configuration of DAR systems, our prospect development approach, and all elements of gift acceptance and documentation.
Teams in Advancement Solutions
Team Lead: Jeremy Utz, (Cert.’07), executive director, Business Intelligence
How does this team fulfill the DAR mission?
Business Intelligence supports the DAR mission by providing data-driven insights that help us understand donors, track performance and improve overall organizational strategies.
What does this team do?
- The BI team sets data governance and oversees the data lifecycle for DAR.
- The data integrity team within Business Intelligence ensures our data is well-kept, accurate and proactively monitors and corrects data issues before they become problems for the organization.
- The data analytics team within Business Intelligence analyzes data to uncover hidden patterns and to answer essential questions, builds data analytics and is broadly responsible for how we curate and use data for DAR.
When should you contact this team?
- When you have questions about data, data analytics or need assistance with Tableau or other reporting tools.
Team Lead: Rob Downs (M.S.’06), executive director, Information Systems
How does this team fulfill the DAR mission?
Information Systems supports the technology services and systems used by all VCU staff engaged in fundraising, foundation services and alumni programs. This includes managing RADAR, online services, email, desktop support, account and network services. The team works with staff to continually improve RADAR and to meet ever-changing fundraising and engagement needs.
What does this team do?
- Manages, enhances, supports and troubleshoots the fundraising database RADAR for optimal usage by DAR staff.
- Works with campus partners and DAR leadership to develop enhancements, reports, data integrations and other features to customize RADAR.
- Maintains DAR websites and partner web applications, including online giving, event registration and other online engagement sites.
- Maintains and supports data integrations with partner systems.
- Oversees all IT procurement for DAR.
- Oversees account management and onboarding/offboarding of DAR staff’s digital and computer needs.
- Maintains servers, network, IT systems and user accounts to ensure secure and reliable IT infrastructure.
- Provides desktop and conference room support and procurement for all DAR staff.
- Maintains close partnerships VCU Technology Services and Information Security to ensure seamless operations of university systems for DAR.
When should you contact this team?
- If you have questions about RADAR, online systems, mailing lists or other DAR services.
- If you have issues or questions with your technology equipment.
- If you are looking to purchase software or work with a vendor that will use DAR data or information.
Team lead: Mandy Smith, director, Philanthropic Services
How does this team fulfill the DAR mission?
Philanthropic Services supports DAR by processing philanthropic gifts in accordance with VCU policy and the Donor Bill of Rights, and appropriately receipting gifts in accordance with IRS and CASE standards. Philanthropic Services also leads compliance efforts in gift acceptance. This includes managing the gift acceptance process, drafting and managing gift agreements and managing pledges.
What does this team do?
- Manages gift acceptance, gift compliance and gift processing.
- Reviews processes, identifies service gaps and updates policies and procedures to be donor-centric while complying with IRS and CASE standards.
- Drafts gift agreements in accordance with VCU policy, foundation policy, IRS regulations and CASE standards.
When should you contact this team?
- If you have any questions related to new gifts or pledges, unusual gifts, documentation required to book pledges or planned gifts, gift agreements, gift acceptance policies or naming opportunities.
Team lead: Rachel Brandell-Mayers, executive director, Prospect Development
How does this team fulfill the DAR mission?
Prospect Development collaborates with fundraisers and DAR leadership to provide analysis and strategy to ensure fundraiser portfolios are engaged and contain prospects with both inclination and capacity to support VCU. We combine analysis with industry best practices to support data-driven decisions for VCU’s institutional portfolio and solicitation pipeline.
What does this team do?
- Provides strategic analysis and guidance to help development teams prioritize their efforts.
- Identifies the most promising prospects for major gift cultivation.
- Partners with frontline fundraising staff to ensure portfolio engagement and optimization.
- Collaborates strategically with fundraising teams to provide the essential intelligence needed to inform targeted engagement strategies and advance donors through each stage of the cultivation cycle.
When should you contact this team?
- Whenever you need portfolio or pipeline assistance.