How Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis Transformed Donor Engagement with Bloomerang
Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis is dedicated to helping every child reach their potential. Robert Shula, the Chief Development Officer, shares their mission: “We empower our youth with vital academic services, including after-school programs that provide homework help, physical fitness, nutrition, and mentorship.”
Key Highlights
Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis is on a mission to empower youth with academic support, mentorship, and life skills. But managing donor data with spreadsheets and free tools held them back. Switching to Bloomerang gave them a unified system to streamline donor engagement, uncover high-potential donors, and build meaningful relationships. With these tools, they re-engaged 60% of lapsed major donors, increased average donation size by 20%, and turned their holiday event into a true fundraiser with an 80% revenue boost. Now, the Club is better equipped to grow its impact, supporting even more kids in reaching their potential.
The Problem
Before Bloomerang, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis relied on a mix of spreadsheets and free tools to manage their donor data. As Robert put it, “We had dabbled in all the free systems that were out there” but quickly hit their limitations, realizing that “you can’t do much, and you get what you pay for.”
It was difficult to follow up with lapsed donors or see who their supporters really were without a complete solution. Every time they reached out, it felt like starting over, which made building long-lasting relationships challenging. The team also struggled with missing data, which made it difficult to keep track of donors and their support history.
The Solution
Switching to Bloomerang provided Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis with an all-in-one solution to address their data challenges and streamline donor engagement. “Bloomerang is like having another person or two on our team,” Robert explained, describing it as an “extra fundraising arm” that enables their small team to operate at a larger capacity than staffing would typically allow. It helps “offset the fact that we’re running a lean ship, as all nonprofits are.” With Bloomerang, they replaced fragmented tools with a unified system that empowers them to work smarter and build meaningful connections with supporters.
Donor management and data segmentation
One of the key capabilities Robert’s team uses is Bloomerang data segmentation—which helps them organize donors by giving history, engagement levels, and interests. Instead of using the same message for everyone, they’re now able to customize their outreach to connect with specific groups more effectively. “For us, it’s not just about storing data; it’s about activating it,” Robert explained. Bloomerang segmentation capabilities make it easy for the team to reach out with messages that truly resonate, turning what was once static data into meaningful interactions.
Wealth screening and generosity scores
Bloomerang Batch Screen and generosity scores help the team find and connect with high-potential donors. Robert and his team use this data to improve their outreach targeting and customize their messages, building stronger connections with donors likely to get involved. When he started at Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, “The first thing I did was run a Batch Screen,” Robert recalls. “I was able to identify close to 35 donors who had previously lapsed, with contributions of $10,000 and above,” some of whom had not given in over a decade. Finding these donors led Robert’s team to discuss why they’d drifted away, resulting in renewed and focused outreach. “It gave us a key insight into why we had lost those donors,” Robert explained. Because of these efforts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis re-engaged 60% of those lapsed major donors.
Grant tracking and historical data
Grant tracking is another important tool for the team. It helps them manage their pipeline and keep track of past partnerships. Robert can revisit former partnerships through Bloomerang’s grant tracking and reconnect with past supporters. “It’s valuable because we can go back decades and see past grants, even from before my time,” Robert said, making it easier to rekindle relationships with past funders.
Event management with Qgiv integration and Tap to Pay
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis found real value in integrating Qgiv event management tools into their fundraising efforts. Robert recognized the importance of upgrading to Qgiv after not getting the results they were looking for with other systems. “We’ve spent so much more on other systems, and every time we do that, we’re forced to learn a new one right before an event.” Robert shared. “Then we go into the event hoping it works, but the data doesn’t flow into our Bloomerang system properly.” Qgiv offers seamless integration, cutting down on manual entry and reducing errors, making the process much easier to manage.
Tap to Pay has also made a significant difference at in-person events. Attendees now donate instantly with just a tap on their phones. Reflecting on their last holiday event, Robert noted, “For the first time, our Christmas event became a fundraiser instead of just a thank-you.” Tap to Pay made it easy to capture donations quickly and integrate mission moments into the event. These changes turned what used to be a break-even event into a successful fundraiser, increasing revenue by 80% compared to previous years.
Expanding capabilities and continuous learning
Robert values Bloomerang for more than its data management. Its integrated feature set has given Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis a powerful toolkit, helping them go beyond basic record-keeping and build deeper, lasting connections with their supporters. As Robert puts it, it’s “all in one place, and that’s what I love about Bloomerang.” He notes that the platform’s tools—including webinars and best practices—have energized their team with new ideas, making it easier to adapt and apply fresh insights as they expand donor engagement.
The Results
Since implementing Bloomerang, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis has significantly improved donor re-engagement and campaign effectiveness. Looking back at their outreach efforts, Robert says, “Right now, 60% of those [lapsed] donors are back.” The team was able to use Bloomerang wealth screening tools to find high-value donors who had drifted away and reach out to them in a targeted way, rekindling connections with long-time supporters.
The team has used Bloomerang’s real-time reporting tools to quickly adjust their campaign strategies. Robert mentioned that he can get insights “at the drop of a hat,” making it easier for the team to customize their approach with the latest data. This ability to adapt has resulted in a 20% increase in average donation size, proving that focused fundraising efforts lead to great results.
Bloomerang has made a difference in the way the Club manages its donors. They no longer rely on simple record-keeping and instead focus on actively building and nurturing relationships. Because of Bloomerang, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis can grow and reach more youth in the community without needing to hire more staff.
What’s Next
As Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis looks ahead, they’re looking forward to exploring how they can expand their use of Bloomerang to continue refining their fundraising and donor management efforts. “We’re in the midst of a capital campaign,” Robert explains, “and I’m using Bloomerang daily to tweak our data in different ways and explore new insights. That’s what I love about Bloomerang—you can play with it, test things out, and it doesn’t break.” This flexibility enables the team to ask new questions of their data and refine strategies that adapt to the needs of their community.
In addition to Bloomerang donor management and fundraising solutions, Robert mentioned they’re also evaluating Bloomerang Volunteer as part of their future planning. They currently lack a dedicated volunteer management system, and Robert notes that their exploration of Bloomerang Volunteer is “exactly what we need.”
The organization’s focus on data-driven tools like Bloomerang and Qgiv helps the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis strengthen its impact and advance its mission of creating safe, supportive environments where children can thrive.
"I’m using Bloomerang daily to tweak our data in different ways and explore new insights. That’s what I love about Bloomerang—you can play with it, test things out, and it doesn’t break."
Re-engaged lapsed donors
Increase in average donation size
