Getting the Most From Your Time and Resources With iWave

Background:

Since its founding in 1831, Denison University has become a leader among America’s top liberal arts colleges. Featuring state-of-the-art facilities for living and learning, dedicated faculty, and an abundance of student opportunities, Denison has been named a first-rate institution by Forbes, Business Insider, and the New York Times. To continue delivering exceptional service to students, partners, and the greater community, Denison conducts a major gift research campaign recurring annually.

Challenge:

Bill Robbins, Associate Director of Advancement Services, knows the challenges his department faces. With restrictions on time, budget, and only three active researchers, a strong return on investment is a must. Bill and his team were disappointed with many prospect research tools and the reliability of their results. With Denison University’s annual major gift campaign right around the corner, the team needed a cost-effective solution that would improve both the efficiency of their research and the quality of their prospect profiles.

Solution:

At first, Bill was skeptical of yet another prospect research tool. His team felt the tools simply weren’t made with researchers in mind. However, as soon as he started a trial subscription he quickly learned that iWave isn’t like other research tools. “iWave is more comprehensive, easier to query, and faster (especially the 360Search function) than other similar sources that we have used,” said Bill. “iWave helps eliminate some of the ‘guess’ work from our job by providing reasonable pointers toward potential prospects.”

A particular highlight for Bill was the training and support from iWave’s Success Team. “Our questions were answered thoroughly by knowledgeable staff. The follow-up emails with transcripts of the online conversations are a great tool and we really appreciate them.”

Right away, the team started using iWave in their major gift campaign. When asked how it was going, Bill said, “iWave will pay for itself with this project alone.” Beyond gifts, he anticipates there will also be more volunteer support from current and new prospects. “Overall, iWave is a great service for academic researchers on a tight budget for whom reliable results are imperative.”