Frequently Asked Questions
What is Raiser’s Edge used for?
Raiser’s Edge is the program used to house our Alumni and Donor database. It is used to store biographic, gift, education, and event participation information, as well as to track communication history and moves management steps for our university donors, alumni, and friends. It is a common source for mail/email distribution lists and contains many gift and prospect management reporting features.
What is NetCommunity used for?
NetCommunity is used to support many of our online alumni and donor related efforts. It allows us to create online event registration, donation and other web pages that facilitate the transfer of data collected online into the Alumni and Donor database. Also, NetCommunity is used to send email blasts that can be based off of distribution lists defined in the Alumni and Donor database.
How can I become a Raiser’s Edge user?
Send your user request to REHelp@seattleu.edu and you will be contacted by Advancement Services staff. To become a Raiser’s Edge user, working with alumni and donor data must be an integral part of your job. Typically, Raiser’s Edge logins are limited to University Advancement personnel only but exceptions can be made. Visit this page for more information about becoming a Raiser's Edge user.
I am not able to access the Alumni SUDDS report. How can I gain access?
Send your request for Alumni SUDDS report access to REHelp@seattleu.edu. Before gaining access, you must also have up to date FERPA training.
I just received updated contact information for an individual. How do I get those changes made in Raiser’s Edge?
Send your updates along with the name and Constituent ID of the individual you want changed to BioUpdates@seattleu.edu.
I received word from an individual who no longer wants to receive mail from SU. How do I get that marked in Raiser’s Edge?
Determine what kind of mail or email the individual is opting out of receiving in the future: solicitation from a specific school, the SU magazine, emails from athletics, etc. Send that request along with the individual’s ID and name to BioUpdates@seattleu.edu.
If you have changes to 50 or fewer records, send them to BioUpdates. If you have a larger list of constituents needing updates, send them to REHelp. For larger lists of changes, you may be contacted by Advancement Services to coordinate the scheduling of your record updates.
Why is this constituent record marked as inactive? How can I get it reactivated?
Constituents may be inactivated for a variety of reasons. If you are unsure why the record was inactivated, check that Constituent’s Notes tab and view any “Record Inactivation” notepads. This notepad will contain the reason why the record was inactivated. To get a record reactivated, send that constituent’s name and ID to BioUpdates@seattleu.edu.
What constituents get added to Raiser’s Edge?
The following types of Constituent records are added to Raiser’s Edge:
- All who graduate from Seattle University earning graduate or undergraduate degree or certification.
- Undergraduate students who earn 90 or more credits from SU but did not graduate.
- Current undergrad seniors and 3-L Law students
- Parents of incoming, traditional aged undergraduate students.
- Prospects identified by Development Officers as those who will enter the cultivation process.
- Current staff, faculty and adjunct faculty.
- Anyone who makes a donation to SU.
- Varsity sport season ticket holders.
- University volunteers, including advisory board members, who are not monetarily compensated for their time.
- Participants of SU's Magis Program.
Contact REHelp@seattleu.edu if you would like to have a constituent or set of constituents added to the database that do not fall into one of the categories listed above.
Should I use Raiser’s Edge to track my contacts or continue to use my spreadsheet (or other database)?
Raiser’s Edge should be used to track all alumni and donor contacts. If you have an external database containing alumni or donor contact information, you will not benefit from the ongoing data updates taking place in Raiser’s Edge. Also, your updates won’t be shared with other stakeholders around campus. If you would like to move your contact information into Raiser’s Edge, contact REHelp@seattleu.edu.
I received a gift to the university, how to I get it added to Raiser’s Edge?
You may drop off gifts between 7am and 5pm at the Advancement Services office (ADMN 305B) with a staff person. If no one is available to leave the gift with, please leave the check(s) with the front desk receptionist (ADMN 120). Share any extra verbal information about the gift with the person you leave the gift with. If no one is at the front desk or if your delivery falls outside of the hours listed above, secure the gift in your area until the next business day. In-house mail is available for check delivery, but not recommended. If you choose to use this method, please let Advancement Services know to expect its arrival. To ensure that a check is not lost or tossed, please do not leave them on unattended chairs, desks or mailboxes.
A donor desires to give their credit card information for making a gift. What information do I need to obtain?
If a donor wants to give their credit card number to make a gift, obtain the following information to ensure accurate processing:
- Gift Amount
- Fund designation
- Credit Card number
- Expiration Date
- Name as it appears on card
- Donor phone number
Note: Any credit card information you take must be securely stored and immediately destroyed (shredded) after use.
How do I go about requesting a mailing list or report from Raiser’s Edge?
Use Advancement Services' Data Request web form. Once submitted, you may be contacted by Advancement Services staff to clarify your request.
Who should I talk to about getting a custom design for my email message?
University Advancement does not provide web or print design services but SU's Marketing and Communications (MARCOM) may be able to help. Contact MARCOM directly to inquire about their custom design services keeping the following in mind:
- You must provide MARCOM with a simple creative brief for your project: What is the need? When does the design need to be completed? Who is the owner of the project? Is there a budget allocation for your project?
- MARCOM needs at least one week lead time to complete the work.
MARCOM can provide html files that you can send to Advancement Services for building your email blast message.
I am receiving bounced email messages from an email blast that was sent out. How should these bounces be handled?
Review your list of bounced email messages and determine which are soft bounces and which are hard bounces:
- A soft bounce is a temporary failure in which the message as sent is valid, but some condition has caused the message to be delayed or not sent. An example of a soft bounce would be sending to a mailbox that is full or an out-of-office reply.
- A hard bounce is a permanent delivery failure which is not likely to be resolved by resending the message. Multiple hard bounces to the same address will place SU on an email blacklist. An example of a hard bounce would be sending to an invalid email account.
Send the hard bounces to BioUpdates@seattleu.edu so that contact information can be updated on the record of each intended recipient.
I’m planning to do a solicitation. Who should I coordinate my efforts with?
Contact our Annual Giving office (annualgiving@seattleu.edu) if you are planning to do a solicitation. They can help you with scheduling and advice. If after this conversation you need a mailing/emailing list pulled, visit the Data Request page which contains links to data and email request forms. Also, be sure to inform the Gift Processing manager of your plans so his/her team are better prepared for the data entry of your incoming gifts.
I’m planning an event and would like to track it in Raiser’s Edge. Who should I coordinate my efforts with?
Fill out the Event Record Request form found on the Advancement Services website and email it to REHelp@seattleu.edu. An Event record will then be set up for you in Raiser’s Edge. Touch base with the Alumni Relations office if your event is alumni related and with the Special Events team who can provide tips and best practices for executing a successful event.
How do we define "lost alumni"?
A lost alumnus is an alumnus we are unable to contact: we have no valid mailing address, no phone number and no email address for that individual. If an alumnus tells us they do not want to be contacted by Seattle University, they are not considered "lost".