Nourishing Growth: How Strategic Data Management Fed Success for Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels North Central Texas, led by Christine Hockin-Boyd, Executive Director, and Haley Seale, Communications Marketing Manager, is a mission-driven organization that serves homebound and senior adults. The organization provides more than just meals; it also conducts essential wellness checks, ensuring comprehensive care for each client. This approach not only meets nutritional needs but also supports a broader commitment to the health and well-being of the community they serve.
The challenge
On taking the helm at Meals on Wheels North Central Texas, Hockin-Boyd was pleased to discover that the Bloomerang system was already in place, which presented a unique opportunity to expand on the groundwork laid by her predecessors. While the system was in use, Hockin-Boyd recognized the potential to further enhance its capabilities, specifically to deepen data analysis and enrich donor engagement strategies. “I was thrilled to discover that Bloomerang was already in place when I arrived,” she stated, seeing this as a promising platform to launch more detailed and segmented reporting.
The solution
Under Hockin-Boyd’s direction, Meals on Wheels North Central Texas used Bloomerang reporting and querying capabilities to identify and capture missing data, creating a structured and effective donor management system. She also capitalized on advanced attribution capabilities to build out new segmentation reporting. “Using Bloomerang, we can track each donation’s journey and see how every gift supports our mission, deepening our understanding of donor contributions,” explained Hockin-Boyd. By meticulously segmenting data and using custom reports, Hockin-Boyd and Seale could accurately track the impact of specific campaigns, appeals, and communications strategies on their fundraising efforts. This enabled the team to attribute donations correctly, optimizing fundraising strategies based on concrete data about what worked best in engaging donors and prompting contributions.
Bloomerang email hygiene capabilities and National Change of Address (NCOA) service were crucial in maintaining communication integrity and ensuring data accuracy. “Bloomerang is incredible about letting us know whenever an email is bad,” Seale shared. Additionally, Hockin-Boyd valued the Bloomerang National Change of Address (NCOA) service, stating, “One of the things I appreciate about Bloomerang is the nightly change of address service, which is included free of charge,” to update donor addresses and keep their records current.
Moreover, Bloomerang Generosity ScoresTM, powered by DonorSearch, provided valuable insights into donor behavior and potential, enabling the organization to refine its engagement strategies. These features helped Meals on Wheels North Central Texas maintain clean data and enhance donor relations and fundraising efforts.
“Using Bloomerang, we can track each donation’s journey and see how every gift supports our mission, deepening our understanding of donor contributions.”
The results
Once they established new processes, the team at Meals on Wheels North Central Texas was able to improve fundraising and engagement dramatically. Key capabilities, like reporting, email hygiene tools, and donor insights, significantly enhanced their performance. “Once we’d updated our data processes, we were running at a 55% donor retention rate,” noted Hockin-Boyd. “Now we’re sitting at 58%,” substantially higher than the industry average retention rate of 42%. Additionally, Seale highlighted the effectiveness of the organization’s email campaigns, “We maintain a 28 to 35% open rate for all our monthly emails.”
Moreover, using Bloomerang Generosity Scores provided critical insights into donor behavior, enabling tailored outreach and deeper donor relationships. “The Generosity scores not only help to identify major donors’ potential but contribute to our understanding of where our current donors are giving and where they could give,” Hockin-Boyd explained, detailing how these insights informed their engagement strategies.
The adoption of Bloomerang Payments further streamlined their donation process, with Haley noting the real-time update of donor profiles upon donation receipt. This integration not only facilitated immediate acknowledgment of contributions but also bolstered donor trust.
“We maintain a 28 to 35% open rate for all our monthly emails.”
What’s next?
Meals on Wheels North Central Texas plans to continue to take advantage of Bloomerang capabilities with an eye on continuous improvement and innovation. Hockin-Boyd envisions new features and integrations to enhance their data management practices: “I look forward to where Bloomerang determines they would like to move into the future.”
Through strategic data management, targeted communications, and a commitment to leveraging technology, Meals on Wheels North Central Texas has set a benchmark for nonprofit excellence with Bloomerang. Their story is a testament to the transformative power of thoughtful implementation and use of donor management solutions, paving the way for sustained success and growth.
"Once we’d updated our data processes, we were running at a 55% donor retention rate. Now we’re sitting at 58%!”
Donor retention rate
Retention rate than industry average
Email open rates
