Case Study: Boston University achieves $1.85B fundraising success (85% over goal) with Blackbaud CRM

Boston University trusts Blackbaud CRM to power its first comprehensive fundraising campaign

Boston University, a major private research university serving over 35,000 students worldwide, launched its first comprehensive fundraising effort, The Campaign for Boston University, with a $1 billion goal. Facing legacy systems that could not provide the consistent, flexible constituent data and reporting needed for a university‑wide campaign, BU required a modern fundraising and relationship management platform to support its advancement initiatives.

BU implemented Blackbaud CRM to centralize data, deliver holistic constituent views, and provide campaign dashboards, gift processing, and customizable tools (including an SDK-built student outreach tracker). The solution improved fundraiser effectiveness, consolidated data across schools and shadow systems for over 300 users, and helped the university raise $1.85 billion—exceeding the campaign goal by 85%.

Boston University

Stephen Witkowski

Senior Associate Vice President of Development