Collaborative intelligence: Unlocking annual giving insights with Tableau and Snowflake
Abstract
Higher education advancement teams are increasingly expected to make strategic decisions using real-time, reliable data, even as many institutions undergo large-scale customer relationship management conversions. This paper examines how Carnegie Mellon University addressed this challenge through a collaborative project that paired annual giving strategy with advancement information services analytics during a multi-year migration from Advance to Salesforce. Rather than replicating legacy reports, the teams designed a sustainable reporting framework using Snowflake as a centralised data warehouse and Tableau as the primary visualisation layer, embedded directly within Salesforce. Three core dashboards were developed to replace operational reports and enable deeper insight into donor behaviour. These tools support year-to-date analysis, donor movement across giving bands, and data for improving financial reporting, while maintaining consistency with institutional business rules. Outcomes included significant reductions in manual reporting time, improved transparency, and greater confidence in data-forward decision making across the division. This paper demonstrates how intentional collaboration, paired with modern data architecture and a structured technology adoption strategy, can strengthen data culture and position annual giving programmes for long-term scalability during systemic change. This paper is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Muza Furin-Carraux is a senior analytics professional with over a decade of experience in predictive modelling, event and giving analysis, and building reporting solutions. Currently, Muza leads the development of complex Tableau dashboards that provide the advancement division with clear views of donor engagement and campaign performance. She transitioned to advancement analytics after earlier work in Pittsburgh Public Schools, where she developed comprehensive district-wide reports to help schools monitor student performance. Known for her rigorous analytical approach and ability to work with large datasets, Muza builds models and dashboards that identify donor behaviour patterns and examine relationships between giving and event attendance. Her skill in translating complex findings into clear, actionable insights has made her a trusted partner across advancement. Muza earned her master’s degrees in public management from Carnegie Mellon University and public administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
Julie Knight is a strategic advancement professional with over a decade of experience in data analytics, annual giving and building high-performing teams. At the time this article was written, she led Carnegie Mellon University’s annual giving programme. Known for her data-driven approach and understanding of donor behaviour, Julie has developed innovative strategies that drive institutional growth and strengthen donor engagement. She combines analytical insight with a passion for higher education to help institutions build lasting relationships with their communities. In addition to her leadership in higher education, Julie advises clients through her work with Shaff Fundraising Group. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and master’s and PhD degrees in the social sciences from Cardiff University.
