Syracuse University Case Study: Building Relationships Through Collaboration and Trust
At Zuri Group, our relationships with our partners are top priority. By working at their sides as an extension of our clients’ teams, we ensure that we can support them at every stage of their work and build long-term collaborative partnerships. Our seven-year partnership with Syracuse University is something we’re proud of and grateful for – and by supporting them through various system changes, updates, and decisions, we’ve been able to help them reach more donors and alumni and increase the impact of their fundraising efforts.
THE PARTNERSHIP
When Syracuse first approached Zuri in 2018, they were on a tight timeline for getting Blackbaud CRM up and running ahead of a campaign launch. We sat down with them and reviewed their pain points, identifying where they were and what challenges were keeping them from getting where they needed to be. Our teams quickly jumped in to help get them up to speed on their options and develop a plan. At the same time, we supported Syracuse in their reporting migration to Tableau and worked with them to restructure all of their underlying data.
Over the years since this initial project, we’ve helped implement a variety of solutions for Syracuse University. They became early adopters of Expert Access for Blackbaud CRM, our collection of useful customizations with more than 30 innovative tools designed to surround and enhance multiple areas of database productivity, data management, integrations, and fundraiser tools. The Syracuse team described themselves as feeling “like kids in a candy store” when they gained access to all the new tools that helped improve their fundraising efforts. And most recently, we’ve partnered together to implement the Velocity Data Management Engine, which has allowed them the ability to transfer information from their master system in a seamless way and create some specialized fixes.
“Our relationship [with Zuri Group] has really grown as Zuri has grown. And we’ve been really happy with it.”
Alan Weinberger, Syracuse University
Through the years and many projects, one thing we value dearly in our relationship with the team at Syracuse University is our weekly check-in call with their team, which we keep on the calendar through busy and quiet seasons alike. These weekly connects transcend the project of the day and offer us the opportunity to truly be their partner guiding them through whatever arises – whether we’re solving problems with fingers to keyboard, or offering guidance on the latest system to hit the market.
THE APPROACH
Throughout our work with Syracuse, what has made the biggest difference for them is the collaboration, neutrality, and expertise that our teams are able to bring. Unique in our size and approach to collaboration, our team is large enough to offer a bench of experts on a variety of platforms and systems, yet small enough to connect you directly with those experts as colleagues; ready to answer the phone and solve your challenges in real time. And because we partner with all vendors, we’re able to offer recommendations to our partners that are system agnostic, trustworthy, and neutral.
“If you’re planning to work with Zuri Group, my advice is to bring them in early in your discussions about the product you plan to use. Use Zuri to help select your products because the breadth of market understanding they bring is really valuable. When you’re looking for a CRM to do X or Y, they’ll be able to say ‘here are the three major players and a fourth up and comer.’”
Alan Weinberger
THE IMPACT
From optimizing systems to implementing a variety of new products and advising them on changing systems, Zuri Group has had a major impact on advancing Syracuse University’s tools. We’ve brought a level of partnership and expertise to their program that has allowed them to implement solutions that have had an important impact on their work – helping them to fundraise more effectively and reach more donors and alumni.
When it comes to building a strong and trusted partnership for the long term, the relationship is what Zuri values most and we’ve been so grateful to partner with Syracuse University. By coming on board as an extension of your team, Zuri is perfectly positioned to provide necessary technical expertise to directly address your biggest challenges. Our project management and problem-solving offerings provide real-time answers to questions and an expert for any tool, field, or technology that your program encounters. Our primary focus with our partners is to become a part of the long-term success of your program by offering ongoing guidance through human connection and collaboration.
Reach out today for more information and a consultation with our team.