Case Study: Furman University achieves $1.5M in Dins Day gifts and boosts donor participation with Blackbaud

Furman University - Customer Case Study

Furman University, a top liberal arts college in South Carolina, depends on alumni giving to sustain its programs. Its four‑person Annual Giving team ran two major campaigns each year—#GivingTuesday and the spring Dins Day—but relied on a manual WordPress site and Excel tracking that made real‑time updates impossible, delayed final results by nearly a week, and limited engagement with younger alumni.

By adopting Blackbaud’s fundraising platform with a centralized, real‑time campaign site and segmented appeals across 13 fundraising challenges, Furman streamlined operations and boosted participation. Results: 2,380 gifts (vs. a 2,150 goal), $1.5 million raised (over half online), average goal overachievement of 24% for 12 of 13 challenges, 848 donors who hadn’t given all fiscal year, 306 households giving multiple times, faster gift processing (≈900 vs. a typical 400 in a day) and acknowledgments sent within the week.

Furman University

Rebecca Bilott

Director of Annual Giving