Preserving the Past, Building the Future: How The Landmark Trust USA Uses Bloomerang to Grow Support
When you stay at a Landmark Trust USA property, you’re not just renting a place to sleep—you’re stepping into history. This New England-based nonprofit, led by Executive Director Susan McMahon and supported by Public Outreach Manager Jeremy Ebersole, has a singular mission: to restore historic buildings and breathe new life into them through public use. Their approach is immersive and inspiring—think overnight stays in Rudyard Kipling’s Vermont home or exploring an heirloom apple orchard on a historic farm.
But for years, The Landmark Trust USA relied on a mix of disconnected systems to manage donors, events, and communications. The team juggled tools that didn’t play nicely together, leaving them without the insights they needed.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Landmark Trust struggled with disconnected systems that created unnecessary complications for their small team—manually syncing databases, chasing down bad addresses, and losing sight of potential high-capacity supporters. Switching to Bloomerang’s Giving Platform changed all that. Susan and Jeremy reimagined their processes with streamlined tools that brought their vision to life. Integrated email marketing, householding features, DonorSearch, and powerful reporting tools helped Landmark Trust simplify their operations and uncover new opportunities. The numbers tell the story: a 50% growth in their donor database, a remarkable 70% email open rate, and 80% of their $1.25 million campaign goal already secured—all before leaving the quiet phase. Today, they’re running more efficiently, building stronger donor relationships, and setting the stage for sustainable growth.
CHALLENGE
Before Bloomerang, donor management was a constant challenge. When they started using Kindful, they found it had some capabilities, but found it really wasn’t meant to manage donor relationships. “We spent so much time fixing bad addresses and manually syncing lists between our Kindful donor database and a third-party email system,” Jeremy recalled. “Previously, we would have created a group within Kindful and then made sure that group exported to the third party email system to tag it. We wanted to make that process easier and have it all in one place.”
“We thought we had all our donors in both systems, but we didn’t,” Susan added. “That gap meant missed opportunities.” Things escalated when the team launched a $1.25 million capital campaign. Susan and Jeremy knew they needed a better system to keep their campaign on track—and fast.
SOLUTION
For Landmark Trust, switching to Bloomerang’s Giving Platform was more than a new system—it changed how they worked. With donor management, email marketing, and reporting tools all in one system, they finally had a clear, streamlined view of their data. Susan described the impact perfectly: “Bloomerang was like turning on the lights. Suddenly, everything was visible and in one place.”
Bloomerang’s Giving Platform also keeps Landmark Trust on the cutting edge of donor management and fundraising trends. “I feel like every month or two I’m getting notifications about new features,” said Jeremy. “I don’t remember new things rolling out as part of Kindful nearly as much as it’s happening with Bloomerang.”
Centralized donor records
Landmark Trust now has the clarity they’ve always needed to stay on top of their donor records. “Everything—donor histories, household relationships, and giving trends—is finally in one place. Households and relationships are incredibly powerful,” Susan shared. With data cleanup behind them, the team can focus on strengthening donor relationships instead of managing outdated records.
Integrated communications
Susan and Jeremy have refined their approach to engaging supporters. By fine-tuning their message for different groups, they make every conversation feel personal and relevant. Whether thanking recent donors or welcoming first-time supporters, their communication is timely and meaningful. “We can send a slightly different message depending on where someone is on their journey,” Jeremy explained. And it’s working—donors are more engaged than ever.
Actionable reporting
Landmark Trust has gained a sharper focus on their donor data using tools that provide clear, actionable insights. Jeremy described how these insights keep the team on target: “I can zero in on someone who fits six criteria and make sure our database reflects exactly what we need.” This level of detail has made it so much easier to prepare appeals and keep the database clean. Whether it’s pulling targeted lists for events or reaching out to lapsed donors, these detailed reports have helped the team craft better appeals and keep their campaigns on track.
Wealth screening and segmentation
Landmark Trust tapped into the Giving Platform’s generosity features powered by DonorSearch to drive their $1.25 million capital campaign. These tools made it easier to pinpoint high-potential donors early on and feel confident about who to approach and when. “Now, when we meet with donors, we come prepared,” Susan shared. “Bloomerang helps us understand who our most generous supporters are and how we can connect with them.” These tools have been a big help for planning events, like deciding which donors to invite to a Boston campaign cocktail party based on who lives nearby and have the capacity to give. “Bloomerang has been so helpful for targeting the right people with the right message,” Susan added.
Superior customer support
The Landmark Trust staff were also happy to experience Bloomerang’s excellent customer service. “I was pleasantly surprised by just how helpful, personalized, and efficient the help staff was. When we were onboarding, there were a series of videos and tutorials for those who switched from Kindful to Bloomerang, all about what you need to know,” shared Jeremy. “I always knew I could go back to the training when I needed, so that felt nice and personal.”
“I think it was helpful when Bloomerang was offered to Kindful customers that we could keep the same cost,” said Susan. “From our perspective, Kindful wasn’t perfect, but we might not have made a jump if we couldn’t have done it for the same price—plus more features,” added Jeremy.
RESULTS
50% growth in their donor database
“Our donor database has grown by about 50%,” Jeremy shared. “We’re not only bringing in more names—we’re building connections with people who care about what we do.” This growth reflects the team’s focus on building stronger relationships with the supporters who believe in their mission.
70% email open rates
Email engagement remains strong, driven by thoughtful messaging that resonates with supporters. “For our mass emails, we’re averaging 70%,” said Jeremy. “And it continues to improve.” This high engagement highlights the team’s ability to connect with donors in meaningful ways.
80% of a $1.25 million campaign goal
During the quiet phase of their $1.25 million capital campaign, Susan and her team have already made significant progress toward their goal. “We’ve already reached 80%, ” Susan shared. “The ability to pull the right insights has really helped us get to this point.”
Streamlined daily operations
With donor data finally organized, the team can focus on relationships instead of data maintenance. “Having a clean database and the tools to manage it has taken a lot of stress off our plate,” Jeremy explained. “It’s enabled us to spend more time connecting with donors and growing our impact.”
What’s next?
Susan and Jeremy see even more potential ahead as they explore new ways to engage donors and support their mission. The team plans to explore volunteer management and the Bloomerang mobile app to further streamline operations. “We’re just scratching the surface with Bloomerang,” Jeremy said. “There’s so much potential to build stronger connections with the people who believe in what we do.”
For a nonprofit committed to preserving history, Landmark Trust sees Bloomerang’s Giving Platform as more than a tool—it’s a key partner in their mission to connect people with history. As Susan put it, “Bloomerang isn’t just helping us manage donors. It’s helping us grow into the organization we know we can be.”
“Bloomerang isn’t just helping us manage donors. It’s helping us grow into the organization we know we can be.”
database growth
email open rate
