Key Nonprofit Highlights
For 175 years, Gloria Coles Flint Public Library (GCFPL) has been a cornerstone of learning, innovation, and connection in Flint, Michigan. A true community hub, patrons are just as likely to see entrepreneurs hosting business meetings as children discovering the magic of reading. Operating in a unique fundraising environment as a municipally supported library, GCFPL chose Bloomerang for its robust donor management to improve stewardship and reporting. Bloomerang’s Giving Platform allows staff to meticulously track donor engagement and impact, and as a result, the library has achieved an above-average 44% donor retention rate. Whether they are recording handwritten notes to supporters or sharing the donor dashboard with their Board, GCFPL found in Bloomerang a trusted partner in stewardship and sustainable growth.
Challenge
Navigating donor data cleanup and reporting with a small development team
When the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library chose Bloomerang, they were looking for a robust donor management software that could grow with their budding development program. Previously partnering with GiftWorks, they needed something more user-friendly to find clarity in their data, consistency in their stewardship, and confidence in their reporting. When Director of Development Michél Valkoun joined the team, the organization was also regaining its footing after a gap in development leadership, balancing day-to-day stewardship with long-term strategy.
As a municipally supported library, taxpayer support for GCFPL provides a foundation, but growing philanthropic giving requires careful relationship-building and airtight reporting. For Valkoun, that meant one thing was non-negotiable: historical data. “As a development gal, I don’t believe any of that’s possible without having any of the historical data,” said Valkoun. It was important to the GCFPL to ensure every interaction, report, and board update reflected the library’s impact with accuracy and intention.
Solution
Using Bloomerang’s intuitive platform and reporting tools to track stewardship
For Valkoun, stewardship is both an art and a discipline. Bloomerang’s dashboard gave her immediate visibility into the metrics that matter most. “I really like the dashboard, and I love having my donor retention rate pop up,” she shared. “It’s very easy for me to see the status of our year-over-year campaigns.” The ability to quickly toggle between years and track trends has made reporting smoother and more strategic.
Equally important to the GCFPL team is the ability to capture every touchpoint. Valkoun is meticulous about relationship management, and Bloomerang supports that level of care: “I’m the kind of person, if I have a simple phone call with a donor right now, I need to put that in their record right away. Just so anyone can pick up where I left off, and I feel that that’s very easy for me to do in Bloomerang.”
Valkoun even tracks the details of handwritten notes to ensure each outreach feels thoughtful and fresh. “If I’m going to send a handwritten card and we have numerous to choose from, I want to know which visual was on the front of the card,” she explained. “So that way, if I send one next month I’m not sending the donor the same exact card. It really helps me to be more intentional.”
Results
Achieving 44% donor retention and streamlined board-ready insights
Today, Gloria Coles Flint Public Library maintains an above-average 44% donor retention rate. Valkoun attributes that strength to consistent stewardship and the ability to easily access and interpret donor history: “I think it captures donor data in a very uniform fashion. It allows us to easily access all of those donor points and capture all of that data.”
Efficiency has been another meaningful win: “When I’m in a crunch to hurry up and get my numbers because we have a monthly board meeting, Bloomerang makes it efficient for me.” Instead of scrambling for data, Valkoun can focus on strategy, as well as growing the organization’s use of Bloomerang’s platform. “We currently use it to manage individual givers and corporate sponsors, and we’re also going to start having Bloomerang manage our grants,” she said. “That’s never been done before here.”
Bloomerang has brought the necessary confidence to GCFPL’s financial reporting. As a municipality, alignment between fundraising data and government financial systems is critical. “It’s nice to know that Bloomerang aligns to the government numbers as frequently as possible,” said Valkoun. “There’s not really a lag in those metrics and it aligns very well.” Real-time visibility into dollars raised ensures the development team can report accurately for federal, state, and board-level needs.
Gloria Coles Flint Public Library’s confidence in the platform is clear. “I would definitely recommend Bloomerang,” said Valkoun. “I think it’s easy to navigate and it’s super helpful for managing data.” Their organization is proof of what’s possible when stewardship is intentional, data is accessible, and purpose leads the way.
