Equestrian Aid Foundation
The Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF) supports members of the equestrian community across the U.S. facing catastrophic illness, injury, or crises. EAF provides emergency financial grants to breeders, farriers, grooms, riders, trainers, amateurs, and others needing help with basic living or rehabilitative expenses during life-altering challenges.
Key Highlights
The Equestrian Aid Foundation found a trusted partner in Bloomerang after a thorough search for a donor management solution. Drawn to its user-friendly design, nonprofit-centered features, and exceptional support, EAF adopted Bloomerang but faced challenges getting started. Bloomerang’s proactive support team stepped up, providing personalized guidance that helped EAF unlock the software’s full potential. Within a year, EAF improved donor retention by 15% and saved $1,000 annually by consolidating multiple tools into one. With these efficiencies, EAF has more time and resources to focus on supporting the equestrian community in their moments of need.
The Challenge
When the Equestrian Aid Foundation was searching for cloud-based database software to track supporter data, their Director of Grant Recipient Services, Janise Gray, conducted extensive research in the industry.
“I started with approximately 15 database software packages, then narrowed my most in-depth research down to five,” Janise said. “I saw demos and had extensive information gathering and question and answer discussions with each package’s account reps. After all this extensive research, my recommendation was Bloomerang.”
Janise and the team at EAF ultimately chose Bloomerang for several reasons, including ease of use, a clean and appealing interface, well-thought out features, and reasonable pricing. “We love that the people are invested in the nonprofit world,” she shared.
The Solution
EAF also appreciated Bloomerang’s exceptional customer support, which ultimately helped Janise start using the software more regularly. As many clients may experience, sometimes getting started with a new database is easier said than done.
After noticing a period of inactivity in EAF’s database, the Bloomerang customer support team was proactive in their outreach. They regularly reached out to the EAF team to offer support and training. “When we signed on, I was just too busy to take it all in,” explained Janise. “But Bloomerang is so customer-driven that they reached out to me because they actually want me to use the product, not just pay for it.”
With the help of Bloomerang’s support team, EAF got the jumpstart they needed, including opting to add unlimited phone support to their subscription. Janise explained that she likes to save up her questions during the week, then schedule time with the team to address everything at once. In less than a year, she befriended the entire support team.
“They’re not just knowledgeable, they’re personable,” said Janise. “They put you at ease with logical explanations and revel in your success. On a scale of 1-10, Bloomerang’s customer support is 25 or better. I’ve never experienced better customer service anywhere.”
The Results
The EAF now uses the Bloomerang dashboard to its fullest potential. The well-placed reminders keep their team on top of the game when it comes to retaining donors and staying on top of campaign goals, and it’s quite literally paying off: In less than a full year of actively using Bloomerang, the EAF improved its donor retention by 15%.
With Bloomerang, EAF has not only gained visibility into donations raised and campaign performance, but has also become more efficient by consolidating software. As a result of their software switch, they were able to replace Paradox with Bloomerang’s data management, Constant Contact with the mass email feature, Network for Good with online fundraising tools, and merchant services with Bloomerang payment processing. This software consolidation resulted in a total savings of $1,000 per year.
A fresh start
Getting started with new software isn’t always easy, but the Equestrian Aid Foundation found the help they needed with Bloomerang. By focusing on donor retention and simplifying their workflow, they’ve gained the tools to better support the equestrian community. Looking to the future, they’re ready to build on this momentum, ensuring they can provide vital support to those facing life’s toughest challenges.
"You know the people who work at Bloomerang are happy—you can hear it in their voices. No matter who you work with, it’s always such a pleasure."
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