Case Study: University of Portsmouth achieves automated, integrated alumni engagement and streamlined donor journeys with Salesforce for Nonprofits

University of Portsmouth Takes an Automated and Integrated Approach to Alumni and Advancement

The University of Portsmouth set out to transform its alumni and advancement activity as part of a bold 2030 strategy, but progress was hampered by disparate, non-integrated systems that required manual data entry and slowed donor engagement. The Alumni and Advancement team needed automation and a single, accurate view of alumni and donor interactions to free staff for higher-value work and support ambitious fundraising goals.

Implementing Salesforce Education Cloud — including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, the Education Data Architecture and Gift Entry Manager — delivered an integrated, automated platform that streamlined gift processing (with WorldPay and GoCardless), eliminated manual entry, and saved multiple hours per month. The deployment created seamless donor journeys, enabled enterprise-scale personalization and flexible pandemic-era outreach, and improved reporting and stewardship across the university’s advancement program.

University of Portsmouth

Derek Thomas

Advancement Operations Manager for the Alumni and Advancement Team