Key Nonprofit Highlights
DIRECTION61:3, a nonprofit supporting youth aging out of foster care, faced challenges with fragmented systems for donor management, fundraising, and volunteer data. To address this, they adopted the unified Bloomerang Giving Platform. The shift led to significant improvements, transforming chaotic events into seamless experiences. The organization saw dramatic results, including a more than 150% increase in one event’s fundraising (totaling an estimated $150K more than the previous year from all events) and a 47% donor retention rate. The integrated platform not only boosted funds for critical needs but also deepened supporter trust through polished, segmented communications and organized event experiences.
Challenge
Disconnected systems slowed fundraising and supporter coordination
DIRECTION61:3 supports young people ages 14–24 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who are aging out of foster care, providing housing, life skills training, and long-term support for youth who would otherwise face homelessness overnight. “Eighteen is usually a big milestone, but for these kids, it’s doomsday,” said Simon Trask, Denton Area Coordinator. “It’s the deadline hanging over their head their entire childhood.”
Behind the scenes, the DIRECTION61:3 team was stretched thin. Deanna Phillips, Director of Operations, described her role simply: “I have one job title with about seven different jobs underneath it.” Between donor management, fundraising events, finances, and hands-on work with students, efficiency wasn’t a luxury, it was essential.
Before fully embracing Bloomerang’s Giving Platform, systems were fragmented and manual. Fundraising relied on spreadsheets. Volunteer data lived in disconnected tabs. Events were stressful and time-consuming. As Trask put it, “The reality for nonprofits is that we’re all just treading water trying to keep our chin barely above the water so we don’t drown.”
Solution
Bringing donors, volunteers, and fundraising into one platform
DIRECTION61:3 started out with Bloomerang CRM and gradually expanded to add Bloomerang Fundraising and Bloomerang Volunteer, aligning all three into a unified Giving Platform. Over time, the team leaned into learning, integrating, and trusting the system to work together. Phillips lived inside Bloomerang Fundraising, managing gifts, building campaigns, and running reports, while Trask used Bloomerang CRM daily for marketing communications.
As the team fully embraced the platform, events transformed. Silent auctions, paddle raises, and seamless checkout replaced chaos. “Bloomerang makes an amazing experience for our relationships and clients that come into our fundraiser because everything is so organized.” Phillips said. “The efficiency it gives me in my role is why I love the platform—it just works seamlessly. That’s priceless when you talk about dollars for nonprofits and small organizations.”
When DIRECTION61:3 onboarded a new volunteer coordinator, they were confronted with just how fragmented their volunteer data had become. Adding Bloomerang Volunteer revealed new opportunities and offered a 360-degree understanding of supporters: “We have such a big overlap in our volunteer population and the people that support us,” explained Trask. “It’s like this pot of gumbo, so knowing who those people are and being able to segment and group them is a big deal.”
Results
More funds, stronger donor retention, and greater stability for foster youth
The impact was immediate, and compounding. DIRECTION61:3’s fundraisers grew dramatically. “Our fundraisers this year have gone up considerably,” Phillips shared. The team estimates they have raised $150K more than the previous year, funding critical needs like emergency housing repairs without draining operational budgets. When two water heaters failed at the same time, a targeted Bloomerang appeal did more than cover costs. “Not only did we raise the needed $4,405, we ended up getting $12,000 total. Plus, we had someone come in and donate those water heaters,” shared Phillips.
Beyond dollars, trust deepened with supporters, resulting in a 47% donor retention rate. Trask explained how polished communications and smooth experiences mattered: “How long they have to stand in line before they check-in, how polished is the email, all that stuff makes people feel like, ‘Okay these people have their act together,’” explained Trask. “If they do this well, then they’re probably taking care of these kids well. It’s all about trust.”
With Bloomerang, DIRECTION61:3 gained more than a platform. They gained more time, confidence, and resources to ensure that when foster youth cross into adulthood, they don’t do it alone.
