Why Bloomerang Exceeds Expectations for the Mental Health Association of Frederick County
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
The Mental Health Association of Frederick County, Maryland (MHA) builds a strong foundation of emotional wellness for the whole community by preparing resilient children, securing vulnerable families, and standing with people to face crises together. MHA has streamlined its donor management and fundraising efforts using Bloomerang’s Giving Platform, including smooth data integration, improved donor segmentation, and simplified tracking of donor interactions. Bloomerang’s tools have helped MHA convert event attendees into donors, maintain a 42% donor retention rate, and exceed fundraising goals—raising $240,000 at their annual gala. Features like customizable donation forms and excellent customer support have further enhanced MHA’s ability to engage donors and achieve success. With Bloomerang’s partnership, MHA can continue to focus on their mission of promoting mental health and providing support for those in need.
CHALLENGE
The need for a unified donor management system to streamline fundraising
Before using Bloomerang, the Mental Health Association of Frederick County faced challenges managing donor data, tracking interactions, and organizing fundraising events efficiently. Managing auctions, registrations, and follow-ups across multiple platforms was time-consuming and cumbersome, hindering fundraising operations.
Their previous processes made it difficult to capture attendee details, group donors effectively, and convert event attendees into donors. “With Bloomerang’s Giving Platform, data flows smoothly from the fundraising tools to the CRM, making operations so simple and effective,” explained Sarah Lynn, Assistant Director of Development and Marketing. “That data has enabled us to better segment our fundraising appeals and strategize future fundraising goals.”
SOLUTION
Improving nonprofit operations with donor communication and superior customer support
The Bloomerang Giving Platform has significantly streamlined day-to-day operations for MHA, providing the tools needed to effectively manage donor data, prospect for supporters, and track interactions with ease. “Bloomerang makes my work so much easier. The dashboard gives me a quick overview of how we’re doing and helps me to stay on track with our goals,” said Lynn. “It captures the donor data I need to prospect for our next major donor, volunteer, or even board member.”
Bloomerang’s communication tools set up MHA’s team with seamless tracking of donor engagement. “All the communications capabilities—whether emails or letters—makes tracking donor interactions super simple,” said Lynn. “And let’s face it, we all need to do a better job tracking our donor interactions. Reporting is so simple to use, but even if I get stuck on how to find something, customer support is easy to connect with and helps me find solutions.”
Customer support is an essential part of Bloomerang, including monthly newsletters, regular webinars, group and individual training, and extensive help resources. “I love that Bloomerang offers webinars at all levels of knowledge. There are some bits and pieces of the platform I only use once a year, so having videos and articles about how to do those things that are easily searchable in the Help Desk is extremely helpful,” said Lynn. “The support staff are always so kind and really take their time walking through an issue or question with me.”
RESULTS
Bloomerang fundraising tools turn event attendees into donors
With the support of Bloomerang, MHA has deepened its connections with donors, successfully expanding its overall donor base, while also converting event attendees into loyal supporters. As a result, the organization currently maintains a donor retention rate of 42%. “Bloomerang has improved our cultivation and stewardship of event attendees because we know if they gave during the event,” Lynn shared.
For more than 25 years, MHA has hosted an annual gala and live auction that brings together more than 500 attendees. Bloomerang’s auction tools have streamlined registration, checkout, and auction package management, making the process easier for not just the organization, but also its sponsors and attendees. “Our last gala was incredibly successful—we raised more than $240,000 between sponsorships, a live appeal, and a live auction, all run through Bloomerang’s fundraising platform,” said Lynn. “We exceeded our goal and raised more than ever compared to previous years!”
For MHA, one of Bloomerang’s standout features is the ability to create customized donation forms for third-party events and fundraisers. “It’s so easy to do, and donors love it,” shared Lynn. “For example, we had donors who were getting married, and instead of a registry, they asked friends and family to give to a few of their favorite nonprofits. We created a special landing page and donation form just for them!”
Bloomerang’s partnership empowers MHA to stay focused on their vital mission of promoting mental health and supporting those in need. Lynn, a fundraiser with a decade of experience, claims, “Bloomerang may be the most user-friendly platform I’ve ever used. It has truly exceeded my expectations, which is why I recommend it to all my fundraising pals!”
“With Bloomerang’s Giving Platform, data flows smoothly from the fundraising tools to the CRM, making operations so simple and effective. That data has enabled us to better segment our fundraising appeals and strategize future fundraising goals.”
donor retention rate
raised at annual gala auction
