About
Who We Are And Why It Matters
We’re a boutique data technology firm that prides itself in delivering hard-to-find information to help Higher Education Advancement, Career Services and Institutional Research to identify and engage constituents. It matters because relationships matter. BRD renewal rates are at 100% in 2021, far exceeding the industry average. We have the honor of serving clients such as Yale, Texas A&M, University of Texas, UNC among others. Clients renew when their partners deliver results.
Why BlueRidge Data
Our firm does things differently. We know that one of the greatest challenges facing Higher Ed is the quality of data. We aren’t a data commodity broker like many of the data providers in the space. Distilled data, at its essence, is an approach that takes the most crucial elements of any data set and provides what is needed to make decisions. Too much data encumbers the decision making process, while data distilled by BRD empowers users to do what they do best.
Learn how your organization can benefit from BlueRidge Data’s Advancement and Career Services offerings
Our Platform
Our platform, RisingStars, and technology provide access to developed predictive algorithms and machine learning/AI techniques to create a comprehensive “data superset” of 210 million U.S. consumer profiles and 80 Million professional profiles. We unify consumer and professional profiles and offer a 360º view; rich in behavioral analytics, dynamic insights, real-time wealth events, predictive purchase intent and deeply nuanced relationship mapping. This provides an added dimension to traditional data providers.
Learn about the solutions our RisingStars platform enables.
Our Values
We believe in doing business the right way with Integrity, bringing constant Curiosity to the discussion, with Concern about our Client’s mission and goals, building long-term Relationships and ultimately delivering Results.
We’d like to hear about the objectives you aim to achieve. Contact BlueRidge Data to start a discussion.
Expertise and Experience
BlueRidge Data was founded by Stephen Hafner, the former CEO and Founder of HEPdata (now a SSB/Affinaquest company), who pioneered Employer Matching Gift technologies – along with a talented cadre of industry veterans – with combined experience of over 75 years in EdTech. To learn more about BlueRidge Data, read Our Story.
From Data to Impact: The 360° Constituent View with BlueRidge Data
Emma, the Director of Annual Giving, faced daily frustrations with her dashboard due to data issues that hampered her team’s impact. By adopting BlueRidge Data’s 360° constituent view, she turned her CRM into a strategic asset. Before this, her team missed matching gifts, lacked major-gift insights, and wasted resources on outdated records, hurting fundraising and donor trust.
Unlocking Opportunity: The Power of Corporate Champions for Universities and Non-Profits
Universities and non-profits often miss significant corporate support due to a failure to activate potential internal advocates. By strategically identifying and engaging “corporate champions”—alumni or donors within companies—organizations can unlock substantial partnerships and leverage initiatives like matching gifts. This approach, fueled by enriched data and tailored engagement plans, transforms passive networks into powerful avenues for organizational growth and impact.
From Dorm Room to Donor: Bridging the Alumni Gap Years
The critical “gap years” following graduation are often when alumni relationships with their alma mater dissolve due to a lack of up-to-date contact information and personalized outreach. By failing to keep pace with alumni transitions like job changes and relocations, institutions risk losing future donors who feel disconnected and unheard, leading to unsubscribes and missed opportunities for meaningful engagement.
