Case Study: William Paterson University achieves stronger alumni engagement and enhanced prospect research with WealthEngine

William Paterson University - Customer Case Study

William Paterson University, a public institution near Wayne, NJ with about 12,000 students and a 60,000‑strong alumni database, faced declining alumni giving after the recession and needed to rebuild engagement beyond traditional fundraising. The advancement office’s challenge was to reconnect alumni and constituents, identify new prospects, and create lasting goodwill that would lead to future philanthropy.

They embedded social media into prospect research and cultivation—using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Alerts, surveys and mobile apps, and feeding insights into their SunGard Banner system to coordinate across departments. The approach produced an active online community, better‑targeted prospect lists, higher event attendance and richer, personalized stewardship (e.g., a promoted alumnus concert generating 50+ comments, a $1,000 scholarship gift and a promising major gift lead), strengthening relationships and the long‑term fundraising pipeline.

William Paterson University

Lynn Lazar

Director of Prospect Research and Research Management