Cornell has selected Kindsight as our technology platform and Huron Consulting Group as our implementation partner for overhauling the university’s constituent engagement and fundraising software ecosystems in Ithaca, and at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Weill Cornell Medicine. These selections mark an important step forward in the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) and Donor and Engagement Experience Project (DEEP). This decision reflects Cornell’s commitment to building a more integrated and modern CRM environment across all campuses.

The selection follows a comprehensive evaluation that involved over 150 constituent engagement and fundraising staff from Cornell’s Ithaca campus, the Lab of Ornithology, and Weill Cornell Medicine. Their collective expertise helped identify the partners best suited to support Cornell’s long-term goals in creating a seamless, integrated CRM that shows the collective journeys of Cornellians throughout their life cycle with Cornell. Through this work, stakeholders contributed deep insight into system needs, process considerations, and opportunities for simplification and improvement.

We will work with Huron to build our new system on Kindsight’s platform which runs on top of the Salesforce CRM platform (Customer Relationship Management). Kindsight brings substantial experience in purpose-built CRMs that corral all donor information and campaign tracking into one place, donor prospect research tools that offer proactive insights and real-time donor intel, and will collaborate closely with Cornell teams to design an approach that strengthens data consistency, enhances operational efficiency, and supports a more seamless experience for staff and partners. Their expertise will help accelerate efforts to build a unified system aligned with Cornell’s strategic priorities. Huron brings extensive experience in complex technology implementations for higher education, medical centers, and other nonprofits. Collectively, we will be well-positioned to make the Donor and Engagement Experience Project a reality.

This milestone reinforces the university’s long-standing vision of “One Cornell”—a shared ecosystem where aligned processes and thoughtfully designed systems support consistent, streamlined work across campuses while still accommodating the distinct needs that are essential to preserve. Through CEMI and DEEP, Cornell continues to advance toward a more connected, transparent, and responsive environment for administrative and engagement work.

The CEMI-DEEP team extends sincere appreciation to all who contributed to the evaluation effort. Your participation and insight were essential in identifying the partners who will help guide this significant transformation.

Further updates will be shared as planning with Kindsight and Huron progresses, and the next phase of work begins.

Next Steps

As work transitions into the implementation phase, preparations are already underway to outline project structures, engage workstream leads, and schedule early design conversations. Teams will receive additional information about timelines, activities, and participation as planning progresses.