Responsive fundraising calls on nonprofits to create hyper-personalized donor journeys for each individual in their donor base. As such, it often requires more from nonprofit teams. Before we unveiled responsive fundraising, we knew it wasn’t enough to simply give a name to the new fundraising system. It was our responsibility to make it possible for nonprofits.
Virtuous Automation not only allows nonprofits to do more donor development in a shorter amount of time, it also facilitates more meaningful work. In fact, after making the switch to Virtuous, customers see a 12% increase in donor retention and 20% decrease in staff time.
To understand how Virtuous Automation improves donor development, we talked to Beth Fisher, VP of Communication & Advancement at Mel Trotter Ministries, to explain the real-world applications of the only responsive nonprofit Automation product available.
Virtuous Automation Solves Inefficiencies
When Beth joined Mel Trotter Ministries, her first priority was to understand the systems involved in growing generosity. She asked to see their current suite of tools and was met with a harsh reality. The Mel Trotter team was overspending on tools they didn’t use correctly or effectively.
Raiser’s Edge simply didn’t meet the needs of the team. Instead of streamlining processes and systems, Beth revealed, “some people learned to skirt the system. There was a huge disconnect and gap in terms of the way it was used, if it was used at all.”
This problem isn’t specific to Mel Trotter Ministries. In fact, it’s more common than not in nonprofits today. The driving force behind Virtuous Automation’s development, implementation and optimization is to eradicate this need from all responsive nonprofits.
Your team should be able to do more with the products and platforms you pay for, not less.
Is it time to switch from Raiser’s Edge to Virtuous? Explore what’s possible with a responsive fundraising platform. Download the Virtuous vs. Blackbaud Starter Pack.
Implement Processes That Work
Within a month of switching to Virtuous Automation, Mel Trotter Ministries implemented processes that not only optimized their existing donor development strategies but also allowed for new opportunities.
Beth said, “on day 2 after go live, we sent a new engagement email and earned 26 new donors. It was evident immediately that Virtuous provides the best ROI.”
Virtuous Automation not only executes engagement campaigns that are specific to each donor segment. It also reveals the next best action for your team so that you are never without a path forward.
Virtuous Automation Expands Opportunities for Donors
Optimizing your existing processes might be enough of a reason to switch to Virtuous Automation. But, Virtuous aims to do more than what’s expected with every product on the platform. Automation also provides opportunities that were otherwise unavailable before.
For Mel Trotter Ministries, that meant a subscription-based donation program. It was an idea their staff wanted to execute for years, but with cumbersome processes and lack of data access, it was too difficult on their legacy platform.
Virtuous Automation streamlined work and opened the opportunity to do more to serve each donor in the best way possible. For Beth, the most exciting opportunity included an Automation task for their CEO to make personal phone calls to donors based on the anniversary of their first gift.
The donors felt personally acknowledged, had newfound access to plans for the future of Mel Trotter Ministries and recommitted themselves to the mission. The result will undoubtedly be more opportunities for growth.
Download the Marketing Automation Playbook. Learn automation takeaways that help your team connect with every supporter, sending the right message to the right people at the right time.
Most Important Possibilities with Automation
The possibilities for your nonprofit grow exponentially with Virtuous Automation and the entire platform. With constant upgrades and feature releases, investing in the Virtuous platform ensures that your organization can evolve with the future of fundraising, rather than fall into a trap of legacy software.
Here is a list of the most important possibilities available to you if you make the switch to Virtuous Automation.
Donor Development
Responsive fundraising is driven by donor data. The Virtuous platform collects data from various sources, including online and offline engagements, and provides the next best step for meaningful donor development.
Virtuous Automation allows for the hyper-personalized connection with donors at scale. Rather than choosing to do what’s always been done in an effort to save time spent by the team, Automation quickly collects data, organizes relevant reports, and executes multi-channel campaigns, all without requiring extra effort from your team.
With a tool that supports daily tasks, your team is freed to do the meaningful work of brainstorming new programs, developing meaningful relationships, and optimizing your campaigns for better results.
Internal Reporting
The value of Virtuous Automation includes more than your donor-facing work. Internal processes and reports can be transformed as well.
For Beth and Mel Trotter Ministries, that meant better reporting, improved task management and a more comprehensive understanding of how to be effective in their work. When you can access all your data in a single place, each team can be on the same page.
Duplicated efforts, duplicate donor entries, and inefficient systems disappear. Your team is freed to move beyond simply surviving and evolve into a growing, successful nonprofit with maximum impact.
Information Sharing
Responsive nonprofits intentionally remove silos to make donor development more relevant for each individual donor. For that to be successful, everyone at your organization needs access to donor data.
Virtuous Automation—and the workflows within it—are accessible to everyone at your nonprofit. Of course, it is possible to restrict editing access, but everyone can see the information and make the most up-to-date decision possible.
See a Demo of Virtuous Automation
We invite you to schedule a personalized demo of the Virtuous platform. You’ll see all the ways Automation can streamline your efforts and increase generosity. We’ll do a discovery call to understand your most pressing needs and show you exactly what your nonprofit is capable of with the support of Virtuous.
