How New View Alliance Uses Bloomerang Nonprofit Software to Maintain a 47% Donor Retention Rate
Key fundraising highlights
New View Alliance supports youth and families across Western New York with foster care, adoption, education, and behavioral health services. After switching from Blackbaud to Bloomerang, the team found it easier to engage donors, manage virtual and in-person events, and track fundraising outcomes. They successfully merged two databases under Bloomerang, improving communications and operational efficiencies. They maintain a 47% donor retention rate using Bloomerang newsletters and plan to expand peer-to-peer fundraising and other integrated campaigns.
About New View Alliance
My name is Mario Hicks, and I’m the Vice President of Development and Mission Advancement for New View Alliance. New View Alliance is a parent affiliate of two human service nonprofits, Gateway Longview and New Directions, currently working in partnership. The missions for both organizations represent over a hundred years of service to Western New York youth and families in behavioral health and mental health care. We house three schools that serve at-risk youth and children with diverse abilities. We also provide foster care and adoption services, as well as residential care for those with social emotional disorders.
Switching to a more functional nonprofit CRM with Bloomerang
Before switching to Bloomerang, we used Blackbaud, but it wasn’t serving our needs. During a leadership transition in 2020, when we moved many development efforts online, it made sense to make the switch. Our team identified an opportunity in Bloomerang that made sense for the size of our constituent group. The Bloomerang giving platform was really well received and easy for our volunteers, donors, and staff to use. The simplified service and functionality made the most sense for us.
Merging Bloomerang’s donor databases for Gateway Longview and New Directions
When our development team restructured under New View Alliance, we chose to merge the two databases. As the two organizations came together and identified efficiencies, we knew it would be beneficial, since both New Directions and Gateway were already using Bloomerang. The process went well, and in our calls with Bloomerang, we had our questions answered quickly and got it across the finish line.
Once we understood the merging process, I think we got through it really well. We also know that if we have any follow-up questions come up, we know the Bloomerang team is ready to help.
Using Bloomerang for event reporting and virtual events
Bloomerang is very user-friendly. We have one full-time database specialist, but we all have access to the CRM, and the reports are easy to read and pull for all our data needs. It’s been really great for us, and the outputs are very good for our leadership and board as well.
When we moved to more virtual events, there were a lot of options with Bloomerang’s event registration. Our large annual event, the BBQ and Blues Bash, transitioned quickly to virtual in 2020. It was a huge moment for the organization at a critical time when we still needed to raise funds for our mission but we couldn’t spend time face-to-face. It was very successful, and we raised more funds using Bloomerang than the previous year despite that quick shift to virtual.
Using newsletters to improve donor engagement
I think we’ve maintained a high donor retention rate because we’ve been able to leverage all the tools available. We send our newsletters through Bloomerang, as well as our e-communications, and that’s really worked well for us. In our newsletter, we highlight “mission moments” to celebrate our youth and the staff who work with them, as well as “high-fives” for our staff-based recognition. I believe our communication is integrated to really celebrate the work we do, whether it’s a breakthrough with our peer parenting program or a youth who’s been able to do something externally. It’s a great way to keep donors updated and engaged.
What’s next for New View Alliance?
Our team is genuinely excited to use Bloomerang, and it really fits where we are right now. We plan to expand peer-to-peer fundraising efforts and leverage more event-based tools for our internal fundraising for the teachers in our schools. We want to make their lives easier by partnering and collaborating with our team on events like raffles and other unique fundraisers.
Although many of our programs are mostly funded, we like to do additional things to add value for our youth. We have teachers who are looking to make sure that every child has a yearbook at no expense, so we could do something like a raffle to help with that. We look forward to continuing to offer the best support for our youth and families, and we plan to use Bloomerang tools to do so.
“The Bloomerang giving platform was really well received and easy for our volunteers, donors, and staff to use. Our team is genuinely excited to use Bloomerang, and it really fits where we are right now.”
donor retention rate
