Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, San Francisco

Title of entry: UCSF Giving Website

About this entry: The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) online giving platform redesign transforms the donor experience while empowering fundraising and gift administration teams. Our strategic goal was to create a modern, intuitive platform that streamlines giving, strengthens branding, and better showcases UCSF’s fundraising initiatives.
Previous platforms presented significant challenges. The site relied on a single, monolithic giving form and was not mobile-friendly, lacked search functionality, and offered incomplete fund descriptions, making navigation and giving difficult for donors. The redesigned experience replaces this with a modern, shopping-cart-style checkout that allows donors to add multiple funds to a single cart, assign varying dollar amounts, and combine one-time and recurring gifts in a single transaction. Unlike the previous Convio-Luminate setup, the new platform is fully integrated with our Salesforce donor database, creating a seamless, end-to-end experience for donors and gift administration teams while retaining key third-party services, such as corporate matching and donation tools, to ensure continuity and donor confidence.
Through cross-departmental collaboration, iterative testing, and user feedback, we implemented improvements prioritizing accessibility, clarity, and ease of use. Donors can now more easily find funds, make informed giving decisions, and complete donations efficiently, reflecting UCSF’s commitment to a donor-centered experience.
Since the launch, the platform has driven measurable impact, including increased donation volume and engagement, improved retention of key services, and streamlined internal operations. This project demonstrates how thoughtful design and technology integration can strengthen donor relationships, advance institutional goals, and serve as a model for digital fundraising innovation.