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#TheOG50: The One with Dan Snyder from Bennington
“We put the service in Advancement Services — that’s what drives me every day.”
— Dan Snyder, Director of Advancement Services, Bennington College
Meet Dan, the Director of Advancement Services at Bennington College
We recently caught up with Dan to talk about the unsung heroics of advancement operations, and how his data-first mindset has streamlined systems, empowered teams, and sparked momentum at Bennington.
Automating the boring to unlock the brilliant
Over the last few years, Dan has taken a sharp aim at the tedious — from gift entry to data clean-up — and built smart automations to simplify daily processes. By removing inefficiencies and creating auto-triggered alerts (like thank-you reminders), he’s allowed his team to focus more on what truly matters: relationship-building. The result? Faster answers, less manual work, and a team that spends more time with people than with spreadsheets.
Making data everyone's business
Dan’s proudest ongoing goal is to make data more accessible and actionable across departments. His vision includes empowering non-technical users to engage with reports and insights independently — a push that not only improves internal decision-making, but also strengthens alumni engagement. “It’s been missing,” he says, “but we’ve got great momentum.”
AI as a teammate, not a replacement
While the AI wave has touched every corner of higher ed, Dan’s approach remains practical and people-first. Whether it’s generating formulas in Power Automate or drafting seating charts, he sees AI as a useful companion — but not a silver bullet. “You still need human judgment,” he says. “It’s not going back in the box, but it’s got to be used responsibly.”
What’s next for Dan and Bennington?
Dan’s big bet for the future: a more data-literate team and better-integrated systems that support genuine alumni connection. As Bennington evolves, Dan envisions operations that are nimble, collaborative, and always a few steps ahead of the next reporting request.
Dan’s achievements in the Alumni Relations and Advancement have been immortalized with their very own AB50C Trading Card.
Want to connect with Dan or learn more about how he’s reshaping advancement operations?
“We put the service in Advancement Services — that’s what drives me every day.”
— Dan Snyder, Director of Advancement Services, Bennington College
Meet Dan, the Director of Advancement Services at Bennington College
We recently caught up with Dan to talk about the unsung heroics of advancement operations, and how his data-first mindset has streamlined systems, empowered teams, and sparked momentum at Bennington.
Automating the boring to unlock the brilliant
Over the last few years, Dan has taken a sharp aim at the tedious — from gift entry to data clean-up — and built smart automations to simplify daily processes. By removing inefficiencies and creating auto-triggered alerts (like thank-you reminders), he’s allowed his team to focus more on what truly matters: relationship-building. The result? Faster answers, less manual work, and a team that spends more time with people than with spreadsheets.
Making data everyone's business
Dan’s proudest ongoing goal is to make data more accessible and actionable across departments. His vision includes empowering non-technical users to engage with reports and insights independently — a push that not only improves internal decision-making, but also strengthens alumni engagement. “It’s been missing,” he says, “but we’ve got great momentum.”
AI as a teammate, not a replacement
While the AI wave has touched every corner of higher ed, Dan’s approach remains practical and people-first. Whether it’s generating formulas in Power Automate or drafting seating charts, he sees AI as a useful companion — but not a silver bullet. “You still need human judgment,” he says. “It’s not going back in the box, but it’s got to be used responsibly.”
What’s next for Dan and Bennington?
Dan’s big bet for the future: a more data-literate team and better-integrated systems that support genuine alumni connection. As Bennington evolves, Dan envisions operations that are nimble, collaborative, and always a few steps ahead of the next reporting request.
Dan’s achievements in the Alumni Relations and Advancement have been immortalized with their very own AB50C Trading Card.
Want to connect with Dan or learn more about how he’s reshaping advancement operations?
Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, and Almabase, the digital-first alumni engagement solution, have announced the expansion of their partnership to the education sectors of Canada and the United Kingdom. The partnership will provide institutions with a modern, digital-first solution to improve constituent data, drive self-serve engagement, and boost event participation.
A Unified Vision
The partnership aligns with Blackbaud’s commitment to customer-centric innovation across digital engagement, Advancement CRM, and financials.
“Partners bring integrated capabilities that extend capabilities and outcomes for Blackbaud customers. We are thrilled that Almabase’s offering, integrated with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and leveraging Blackbaud’s best-in-class payment solution, Blackbaud Merchant Services™, is now available to even more of our customers around the world.”
- Liz Price, Sr. Director of Global Partners at Blackbaud
