Higher Education, Nonprofits
Marketing & Creative
Bringing Structure to Scale: The University of Oklahoma Foundation’s Journey with Workzone
About University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma Foundation is an independent charitable organization that facilitates and manages philanthropic gifts to support the University of Oklahoma. With a culture of integrity, skill and persistence, we align the passions of donors and our alumni with the indelible mission of the University of Oklahoma.
Primary Use Case
Managing and centralizing internal project requests and workflows for communications, including solicitation emails, campaign materials, branding review, and multi-stakeholder projects across the foundation.
Previous Solutions
Free or trial versions of other project management tools; informal hallway conversations; decentralized tracking via emails and spreadsheets.
Chose Workzone Over
Other enterprise and paid project management platforms that lacked customization, onboarding support, or higher ed-specific adaptability.
With a history that spans decades at the University of Oklahoma, Bill Moakley has seen the institution evolve from the inside out. But the most significant shift came four years ago, when the University’s advancement operations moved under the governance of the OU Foundation.
The change wasn’t minor. Overnight, a decentralized model transitioned into a centralized organization responsible for both raising and investing donor dollars—a team that rapidly expanded from 100 to nearly 300 employees.
And with that transformation came the challenge, especially for the newly formed Advanced Communications team: “We couldn’t just operate off hallway conversations anymore,” said Moakley.
Before Workzone: Disconnected Tools, Disparate Teams
Prior to adopting Workzone, the Foundation’s marketing and communications team relied on improvised tools—trial versions of various platforms, scattered email chains, and conversations that happened only when people crossed paths.
“It was almost as if we birthed efficiency out of Workzone because we just really didn’t have it before,” Moakley shared.
The team needed a better way to coordinate across departments, manage deadlines, and bring structure to a growing list of deliverables. They weren’t looking for just another project management tool—they needed project management software for universities that could grow with them and adapt to their unique workflow.
Why Workzone: Flexibility, Form Building, and Outstanding Support
From the start, Workzone distinguished itself by offering more than just out-of-the-box functionality. “Workzone was different,” said Moakley. “It was user-friendly enough to dive right in, but more importantly, it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all platform. It gave us the support we needed to tailor it to our workflows.”
Moakley highlighted Workzone’s form-building capability as a key feature: “The form is what lets us capture exactly what we need. It tells the story of the project before we even start—and helps us decide who’s best suited to lead it.”
Another standout feature? The support team. “Bar none, Workzone is the most well-supported platform I’ve used in my 28 years at the university,” he said. From monthly meetings with a dedicated rep to the CEO joining calls to gather direct feedback—Moakley described it as “the Chick-fil-A of project management.”
Scaling with Clarity: From 0 to 600 Projects
Today, the Foundation uses Workzone to manage a staggering 600+ projects per year—ranging from small-scale communications to multimillion-dollar campaign proposals. That level of complexity simply wouldn’t be manageable without the system Workzone enabled.
“Before, you’d have five people with five different versions of a file in five inboxes. Now, it’s all in one place. The entire team knows who’s working on what, and when,” Moakley explained.
The platform’s visibility and centralized knowledge hub have not only improved internal workflows but also strengthened relationships across departments. “Every project gets a dedicated team member. That kind of one-to-one accountability is huge for trust and follow-through,” he added.
Built for Higher Ed: A Platform that Listens and Adapts
For Moakley and his team, the difference comes down to how Workzone works with them. “If we ask for a new feature, it doesn’t disappear into a void. Six months later, it’s part of the product,” he said.
This responsiveness, paired with the platform’s adaptability, makes Workzone a powerful option for marketing teams in higher education. “It’s not built just for one industry—it adapts to how you need to work. And that’s crucial in higher ed, where every project and department has different needs,” Moakley explained.
Final Thoughts: A Strong Recommendation for Universities
“Unequivocally, I recommend Workzone,” Moakley said. “It centralizes everything—from concept to completion—in one environment. You can track, assign, message, and manage without bouncing between tools. And if something’s not right, they fix it.”
For higher ed institutions seeking project management software for universities that’s purpose-built for cross-functional teams, offers deep customization, and delivers exceptional support, Workzone stands out.
Want to see how Workzone can transform your team’s efficiency and collaboration? Sign up for a complimentary demo and discover why it’s trusted by leading universities across the country.