Equestrian Aid Foundation

The following is an excerpt from a letter of recommendation for Bloomerang written by Janise Gray, Director of Grant Recipient Services at the Equestrian Aid Foundation.

Dear Executive Committee,

As requested, for the past several weeks, I’ve conducted extensive research on several cloud-based database software packages for the Equestrian Aid Foundation.

I started with approximately 15 database software packages, then narrowed my most in-depth research down to 5. I saw demos and had extensive information gathering and question and answer discussions with each packages’ account reps…

After all this extensive research, my recommendation is Bloomerang.

Reasons for Choosing Bloomerang

1. Ease of use
2. Clean, appealing interface
3. Well thought out
4. Reasonable pricing
5. Love that the people are invested in the nonprofit world
6. Exceptional customer support

Challenge

Sometimes Getting Started is Easier Said than Done

After several months of no activity in EAF’s database, our Support Team was more than a little worried.

As a standard procedure, they reached out to see what the problem might be and if there was something we might be able to do that would help.

What was the Hang-Up?

When we signed on, I was just too busy to take it all in. To learn something new was just so daunting–there was always something that came up.

Honestly, I was embarrassed I wasn’t doing more, but I was just so, so busy.

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.

We’re Here to Help

With a little TLC from our Bloomerang Team, the EAF got just the jumpstart they needed and were up and running.  As a direct outcome of this re-engagement effort, the EAF has opted to add unlimited phone support to their subscription.

Their database maven, Janise, will tell you that she likes to save up her questions during the week and call in to our Support Team with a list of things to talk about. In less than a year she has befriended the entire Support Team.

25 or Better

They’re not just knowledgeable, they’re personable. 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.

Solution

Taking Advantage of the Dashboard

The EAF has also come to leverage the Bloomerang Dashboard as it was intended. 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 has improved its donor retention by more than 10%.

And if you know anything about donor retention, we don’t need to tell you what a huge deal this is and what an incredible impact it can make.

At Bloomerang, we are truly honored to be a small part of the incredible work done through the nonprofit sector and to know and support the people who make it happen.

“You know the people who work at Bloomerang are happy–you can hear it in their voices. No matter who you deal with, it’s always such a pleasure.”

Results

What were Equestrian Aid Foundation’s results from Bloomerang? Not only did they benefit from an increased donor retention rate (and more visibility into money raised and campaign performance), but by making the switch they were able to become more efficient while also saving money. Bloomerang’s holistic donor software solution allowed them to streamline and consolidate their other services.

By switching to Bloomerang, EAF was able to consolidate the following services:

1. Paradox / Database
2. Constant Contact / Mass Email
3. Network for Good / Online Fundraising
4. Merchant Services / Donation Processing

Total Savings:  $1,000/year

Retention Rate Increased 15%

According to Dr. Adrian Sargeant, who has studied retention rates in the nonprofit industry for 23 years, moving your retention rate by just 10% can increase the lifetime value of your database by 150% to 200%.

Want to find out how to maximize the lifetime value of your donor database? Just download our eBook.