Philanthropy System Analyst

About the role

The Philanthropy System Analyst will partner with the Advancement Services team and IT to ensure the Ascend CRM platform meets the needs of donors, alumni, and fundraising staff. This role focuses on data quality, system enhancements, and user training to maximize the return on investment for the university’s philanthropy initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Create lists, queries, and exports from Ascend CRM based on specific criteria.
• Collaborate with IT to develop and customize Ascend CRM functionality.
• Provide user support and conduct user acceptance testing for new releases.
• Design and execute data integrity and quality audits.
• Streamline data entry and extraction processes.
• Document business processes, data dictionaries, code tables, and crosswalks.
• Perform regular data appending (e.g., NCOA updates, email appends).
• Support Alumni and Annual Giving teams with appeal standards and performance tracking.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• At least four years of systems analyst experience, preferably in a donor‑software environment.
• Experience working with end users and IT teams.
• Familiarity with donor software such as Raiser's Edge, Ascend, or Salesforce.
• Strong understanding of data administration and management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
• Ability to train and communicate effectively with staff.

Required skills

• Ascend CRM
• Raiser's Edge
• Salesforce
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office
• Data queries
• Data extraction
• Data integrity audits
• Data appending

What we offer

• Competitive benefit package including health, welfare, and retirement savings options.
• Paid leave programs and 13‑15 paid holidays per year.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.
• A collaborative environment within a leading public university.