USU Community Network Project

Project Coordinator: Erin Jensen, erin.jensen@usu.edu

Project Goal
To create a centralized, coordinated community engagement network at USU, powered by GivePulse, that connects campus and community partners, streamlines collaboration, and captures the university’s collective impact across Utah

Background
USU aims to strengthen and centralize community engagement infrastructure to expand partnerships and impact. Fragmented systems, inconsistent reporting, and limited visibility hinder coordination, tracking, reporting, and partner access- making it difficult to demonstrate USU’s impact across Utah and beyond.
Opportunity
The Transforming Communities Institute (TCI) and Analytics Solution Center (ASC) are partnering to develop the USU Community Network, with GivePulse as the backbone. This effort will streamline workflows, improve reporting, simplify partner access, and strengthen capacity for scholarship and outreach.
Approach
The goal is to deliver a sustainable, institution-wide engagement infrastructure. TCI and ASC have a multidisciplinary team of students, faculty, staff, and community partners to assess systems, integrate GivePulse, develop stakeholder tools, and lead training and change management.
A diagram with USU Community Network powered by Give pulse with arrows going out to University Systems, Student, Faculty, Staff, External Partners, USU Administration, USHE, and Community Inquiries. In the center there are 4 boxes with Research, Teaching, Outreach & extension, and Campus Life & Operations

A Broad View of Community Engagement
Community engagement extends beyond traditional service to include mutually beneficial partnerships and activities involving research, teaching, outreach, and/or campus life and operations that lead to meaningful public impact.

Project Phases

Assessment

Goals

Assess the landscape of community engagement at USU.

Identify how GivePulse can support a coordinated, university-wide community engagement network.

Steps

  • Conduct stakeholder interviews
  • Inventory engagement activities
  • Identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for coordination
  • Define key use cases and requirements for GivePulse

Platform Configuration

Goals

Configure GivePulse to reflect USU’s structure and support engagement activities.

Integrate systems and workflows to improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and enhance visibility of engagement and impact.

Steps

  • Build the GivePulse network structure
  • Create key forms, workflows, and tracking categories
  • Set up integrations and data connections
  • Develop dashboards and reporting tools

System Adoption

Goals

Drive widespread adoption of GivePulse through training, communication, and coordinated rollout. Stakeholders include

  • Community Partners (e.g., nonprofits, businesses, government entities)
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Students

Steps

  • Deliver targeted training for all user groups
  • Launch communication and outreach efforts
  • Roll out the platform in phases
  • Activate campus champions to drive adoption

Evaluation & Support

Goals

Evaluate effectiveness of GivePulse in supporting coordinated engagement and measuring impact.

Sustain and improve the network through ongoing, data-informed support, refinement, and decision-making.

Steps

  • Provide ongoing support and resources to users
  • Monitor usage, participation, and data quality across GivePulse
  • Gather feedback from users and stakeholders
  • Refine workflows, tools, and processes
Transforming Communities Institute
Analytics Solution Center