Connecting Donors to Impact at Roots Ethiopia
Roots Ethiopia is dedicated to driving change in rural Ethiopia by focusing on community-driven solutions for education and job creation. The organization supports local communities to improve schools, provide access to quality education, and help mothers develop business skills for local market work. Under the leadership of Board Chair Meghan Walsh, Roots Ethiopia has implemented initiatives like supporting girls in completing their education and fostering inclusion in educational and workplace settings. Meghan is also leading the charge in integrating Bloomerang to enhance donor management and strengthen fundraising efforts.
Key highlights
Roots Ethiopia faced challenges managing donor relationships and understanding giving trends, which meant missing key opportunities to strengthen connections with their donors. Investing in Bloomerang capabilities—like the Quarterly Strategy Program, enhanced segmentation and targeting, automated communications, and Generosity Scores—has helped the team focus their efforts and build more meaningful relationships with their supporters. These capabilities helped Roots Ethiopia increase average lifetime revenue by 19%, streamline operational efficiencies by 80%, and raise their donor retention rate to 55%. With over $114,000 in projected annual revenue from 200 recurring donors, Roots Ethiopia is now positioned to drive meaningful, lasting change.
The problem
Roots Ethiopia’s biggest challenges were with donor management and reporting. They were using Network for Good to engage donors and manage projects. “I didn’t know what had happened that year that didn’t happen the year before,” Meghan recalled. Without clear insights, it was challenging to keep up with trends or make informed decisions. Meghan recognized they needed a more robust solution to enhance communications with their supporters.
The solution
Roots Ethiopia chose Bloomerang to address a major challenge: translating data into meaningful action. “Bloomerang helps me see trends and track donor retention over time,” Meghan noted. “It’s made planning our outreach simpler and helps us make informed decisions.” Roots Ethiopia uses these insights to craft strategies that resonate, boosting both their mission’s reach and donor commitment.
Quarterly Strategy Program
The Bloomerang Quarterly Strategy Program brings Roots Ethiopia a fresh level of insight, making it easy to monitor growth and evaluate what’s working. Meghan described these reports as “like opening one of those books with pop-up images,” where each layer of data offers a new perspective. This approach helps Roots Ethiopia track key trends, adjust strategies based on real outcomes, and stay closely aligned with their mission.
Donor retention
Roots Ethiopia understands the importance of building solid relationships with its donors. Now, they use Bloomerang to track contributions and easily stay in touch with supporters. Meghan said, “I look at those folks, and it doesn’t matter if they’re giving $20,000 or $10. The fact that they’re giving loyally and regularly incentivizes me to let them know that they’re amazing.” Roots Ethiopia builds donor loyalty and secures support by recognizing these contributions so that they can continue their important work.
Segmentation and targeting
Meghan can now group donors by different attributes and impact areas, enabling the organization to more effectively tailor communications. She explained, “Our donors live all over the world, and now I can identify and engage specific groups as unique audiences,” such as the Ethiopian diaspora and initiatives like Jonah’s Hands, a project led by a young boy who’s made remarkable contributions by producing crocheted art to support his birth country of Ethiopia. By recognizing these connections, Roots Ethiopia builds stronger relationships and helps supporters feel more personally connected to the mission.
Automated communication
Roots Ethiopia now uses Bloomerang to automate donor recognition. Meghan noted, “Every time someone hits their first anniversary of giving, we send a celebratory note to that donor.”
Generosity scores
Meghan uses Bloomerang Generosity Scores™ to understand donor behavior and capacity to streamline cultivation efforts. “One thing I really love about using Bloomerang Generosity Scores is I can get a feel for someone by looking at the kinds of donations they’ve made in the past,” which helps tailor engagement strategies and predict future giving patterns.
Greater operational efficiencies
The ability to quickly access donor data and generate reports has streamlined the way the team works, freeing Meghan to focus on the organization’s mission rather than on admin. She shared, “I need intuitive tools that I can learn to use without a steep learning curve.”
Meaningful impact reporting
Impact reporting shows how each donor’s gift supports the organization’s educational initiatives, strengthening connections with supporters. “This reporting helps me understand the impact donors are making because that impact has increased over time,” stated Meghan.
These capabilities have transformed Roots Ethiopia’s approach to donor management, enabling them to build deeper relationships and more effectively communicate the impact of contributions.
Most importantly, Meghan is committed to cultivating delight in the giving experience: “People give because they care about something you’re doing. The next step is to help develop their joy in the giving.” With support from Bloomerang, Meghan and her team can devote more of their time to this vital work. By focusing on the joy donors feel when they see the impact of their contributions, Roots Ethiopia strengthens donor loyalty and promotes a deeper commitment to their cause. Happy donors share their positive experiences, which attracts new supporters and builds a community that actively participates in the organization’s mission. This cycle of joy and engagement continuously fuels their efforts and drives lasting change.
The results
Using Bloomerang has helped Roots Ethiopia improve operations in a number of ways:
Increased average lifetime revenue by 19%
Personalizing communication and targeting their outreach has helped Roots Ethiopia improve donor engagement, leading to a 19.03% increase in average lifetime revenue—from $1,494 to $1,780.
On track to raise $114,000+ in revenue from 200 recurring donors
The team uses the data-driven insights from their quarterly strategy program meetings to improve donor engagement and refine their fundraising strategies. This focus on donor engagement and behavior will Roots Ethiopia raise more than $114,000 in revenue within the next year from more than 200 monthly recurring donors.
Increased donor retention rate to 55%
The organization has increased its donor retention rate to above 55%, exceeding the 45% average for Bloomerang customers. Meghan noted, “When we acknowledge [donors’] contributions, it promotes a sense of belonging and commitment.”
Boosted operational efficiencies by 80%
Now that Meghan and team can access donor information in just one minute—an 80% improvement—that means the Roots Ethiopia team can spend more time developing relationships with donors and less time getting caught up in administrative tasks.
What’s next
Roots Ethiopia plans to continue using Bloomerang to strengthen donor relationships and enhance its community impact. Meghan envisions experimenting with new capabilities and tools to further improve donor engagement.
Partnering with Bloomerang has helped Roots Ethiopia focus on its mission to create meaningful change in the lives of children and families in Ethiopia. The organization is well-positioned for future success and continuing to uplift communities through education and empowerment.
"One thing I really love about using Bloomerang Generosity Scores is I can get a feel for someone by looking at the kinds of donations they've made in the past."
Donor retention rate
in average lifetime revenue
