Kindsight Ascend Kickoff Launches a Unified Donor and Engagement Experience Across Cornell
In mid-April, the university kicked off the unified effort to use Kindsight Ascend to bring several of Cornell’s legacy systems and processes into one connected donor and engagement. Through two days of high-energy conversations and planning, participants began translating ambition into action—aligning on priorities and building momentum for the transformation ahead.
Turning Vision into Action
Kindsight Ascend provides a platform where Cornell can transform fragmented threads into a cohesive whole—one that is stronger, more aligned, and built to support Cornell’s shared goals to improve the donor and engagement experience. This significant undertaking is only one aspect of the broader Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI).
Driven by the same goals of a more connected, collaborative, and insight-driven way of working, the Donor and Engagement Experience Project is leveraging Kindsight Ascend in its move to a future where:
- Shared technologies and processes align our work across all business units.
- Data is clearer, more accessible, and easier to use for decision-making.
- Engagement strategies are informed by real-time insights.
- Best practices guide our work, with customization only where it truly matters.
- Strong partnerships—across Cornell and with its vendors—are built on transparency and trust.
The goal is simple to say, but complex to achieve: to better understand, engage, and steward the people who make Cornell’s mission possible.
A Community Effort
In the coming months, there will be expanding opportunities for staff to join the technical and functional teams already working on this initiative. Through the change network and testing, colleagues can help shape communications and training, surface questions early, and influence how the system works day to day—ensuring it truly supports the people who rely on it.
Momentum, Together
The implementation roadmap is organized into a series of major epics to progress from foundational work through core fundraising and engagement capabilities until launch in mid-2027.
The team is doing biographical data and system validation work now. In just 45 days, teams identified 558 use cases and documented 174 key decisions—bringing the biographical data and system validation phase to approximately 12% completion and marking a strong start to the implementation.
The Kindsight Ascend kickoff made one thing clear: this effort to improve the donor and engagement experience brings together the expertise, dedication, and collaborative spirit needed to succeed. This is just the beginning. The transition—and the people driving it—are already moving forward together.
