Your Anthology Encompass Alternative: What Advancement Teams Need to Know in 2026
When Anthology filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2025 — weighed down by $1.7 billion in debt and declining revenue — the ripple effects landed hardest on advancement and alumni teams. Tools like Encompass and Engage suddenly had uncertain futures, unclear support pathways, and no visible product roadmap.
The short version: Encompass isn’t disappearing outright. Encoura acquired Anthology’s Lifecycle Engagement and Student Success portfolio as part of the restructuring. But Encoura’s historical focus has been student recruitment, not alumni relations or donor stewardship. Whether that changes under new ownership is the open question most advancement leaders are wrestling with right now.
Product development across Anthology’s engagement tools was effectively paused through the transition period — expected to last into 2026. That means no new features, no new integrations, and limited visibility into what Encompass looks like six months from now.
The questions advancement teams are asking right now
Institutions are asking the right questions: Who manages our support tickets now? Will our integrations still work? Can we export alumni data cleanly if we need to move? The smarter approach is to answer those questions proactively — not after a disruption forces the issue.
The bankruptcy split Anthology into three separate entities — Encoura, Ellucian, and a narrowed Blackboard-focused Anthology — and that fragmentation introduces real strategic risk for any team that depends on these tools daily.
|
$1.7B |
3 |
2026 |
|
Debt load that triggered Anthology’s Chapter 11 Inside Higher Ed, 2025 |
Separate entities created by the bankruptcy split Restructuring, 2025–26 |
When the ownership transition is expected to stabilize Projected timeline |
What a capable replacement actually needs to offer
Encompass was built to handle constituent engagement — alumni directories, event registration, online giving, community forums. But the bar has moved considerably. Here’s what a modern platform needs to deliver in 2026:
|
AI-driven personalization Not just email templates — behavioral segmentation that adapts outreach to each alumnus or donor automatically. |
Integrated fundraising Giving pages, donor pipeline management, and multi-channel stewardship in one place. |
|
Community and mentoring Alumni networking, career support, and affinity groups that keep graduates engaged year-round. |
CRM compatibility Plugs into Salesforce, Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT, or your existing system without a full rebuild. |
Why Gravyty is the right move from Encompass
Gravyty is the most complete AI-powered alternative for advancement and alumni teams moving off Encompass. Its platform spans the full engagement lifecycle — from alumni community building and mentoring through Graduway, to AI-driven donor prioritization through Raise, year-round giving tools through Advance, and personalized video outreach through Gratavid.
Unlike Encompass — which covers basic directories and email campaigns — Gravyty brings AI to the core of how fundraisers work. Teams using the platform report engaging 4x as many donors and increasing average gift sizes by 31% year over year.
|
4x |
31% |
2,750+ |
|
More donors engaged on average |
Increase in average gift size YoY Gravyty platform data |
Institutions already on the platform Gravyty, 2026 |
The platform integrates with more than 30 campus systems including Salesforce and Blackbaud, meaning a transition doesn’t require replacing your CRM. With 34 million alumni already on the network, it’s a proven choice rather than an emerging one.
And unlike Anthology’s fragmented post-bankruptcy structure, Gravyty has a single ownership structure and an active development roadmap — which matters when you’re committing to a long-term partner. Alumni membership management features cover branded portals, event management, built-in giving, and community tools that replace what Encompass offered — and then some.
Making the move without losing momentum
The biggest risk in any platform transition isn’t the technology — it’s the data. Before you sign anything, make sure you can export alumni profiles, donation history, communication records, and event data in clean, portable formats.
| ✓ | Export your data cleanly Alumni profiles, donation history, communication records, and event data in portable formats. |
| ✓ | Confirm authentication settings SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records so email delivery isn’t disrupted during the handover. |
| ✓ | Audit your current integrations Know which connections matter most before evaluating what a new platform needs to replicate. |
| ✓ | Confirm contract ownership under Encoura Check renewal timelines and understand exactly who owns your current agreement. |
| ✓ | Ask vendors what migration support looks like The best partners don’t just hand you a login — they have a real transition plan. |
The teams that move fastest tend to do best — not because they’re impulsive, but because waiting for ownership transitions to stabilize means sitting on a static platform while peers are running on tools that improve every quarter.
Anthology’s advancement tools served their purpose. The goal now is finding a replacement that matches where the field is headed, not where it was five years ago. That means AI-driven engagement, real community infrastructure, and a vendor genuinely focused on higher education — all things you can evaluate today.
Ready to evaluate Gravyty? Gravyty’s donor tracking capabilities and full advancement suite are worth a closer look before your next Encompass renewal window closes.
