A 4x increase in fundraising with Bloomerang’s peer-to-peer tools

Key Nonprofit Highlights

Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center provides vital speech-language, audiology, and community services to individuals of all income levels, with a strong focus on children. They offer weekly speech therapy and monthly audiology services to hundreds of children, ensuring access to life-changing care for families in need. They transformed event management by partnering with Bloomerang for peer-to-peer fundraising. Previously reliant on manual systems like spreadsheets, the Center faced inefficiencies and errors during key fundraising events. With Bloomerang, they streamlined participant tracking, voting, and donations, reducing staff workload and increasing transparency. This shift resulted in a 4x boost in donations, raising nearly $198,000. Bloomerang’s platform also enhanced community engagement, enabling participants to host their own micro-fundraisers and deepen connections.

Challenge

Improving event management to strengthen donor relationships

Through impactful community events like the Mr. Central Florida competition and Women of Central Florida Fashion Show, the Center raises funds to ensure access to life-changing care. For several years, they managed fundraising for these events manually, relying on spreadsheets to track participant votes and donations. This cumbersome process required too much time and effort from the staff. Contestants regularly visited the office to deliver payments or sought updates on their standings, creating significant disruptions.

“When we’ve got these men and women out there trying to raise money for us, the last thing we need is to make a mistake on how many votes they received,” explained Debbie Burdett, Vice President of Community Engagement. With votes only counted once physical payments were processed and errors becoming increasingly possible, inefficiencies compounded the workload. As their events gained popularity, their archaic system became a barrier to growth. The staff realized they needed an accurate, efficient, and less labor-intensive solution to manage the influx of participants, votes, and transactions.

Solution

Using Bloomerang’s Peer-to-Peer tool for user-friendly event management

The turning point came when the Center partnered with Bloomerang Fundraising to revamp their approach to managing fundraising events. “We called Bloomerang to ask if they could set this up and track everything for us. Of course, their answer was yes!” said Burdett. Using Bloomerang’s Peer-to-Peer feature, the organization transitioned their Fashion Show to an online system that simplified tracking, streamlined voting, and reduced manual errors. Bloomerang provided complimentary training, helping the Center’s team integrate the platform seamlessly.

With the new system in place, participants could now view real-time voting results online, offering immediate transparency and reducing the need for participants to contact staff constantly. Supporters could easily cast votes and donate online, making the experience effortless and accessible for everyone involved. “Once we got everything set up and live, anyone could look, at any given time, to see who was ahead in votes, and who voted for them,” said Burdett. “It was just amazing to see it all happen!”

Results

Increasing annual fundraising by 300% with Bloomerang

The results exceeded all expectations. Switching to Bloomerang’s platform dramatically increased efficiency and accuracy while making it easier for supporters to contribute. The Fashion Show raised nearly $198,000, representing a significant leap in donations and operational ease. “Giving increased 300% at this year’s fashion show! If we had not changed our setup to Bloomerang’s Peer-to-Peer platform, it would have been a nightmare to keep accurate records the old way—manually on spreadsheets. We will never do another event without Bloomerang!” remarked Burdett.

Beyond the fundraising totals, the Center discovered added benefits. Enhanced visibility of the event drew more interest from participants and donors alike. The platform’s accessibility enabled contestants to organize their own micro-events, like silent auctions and themed activities, to raise funds independently. The connection between supporters and the Center deepened, with participants taking facility tours to witness first-hand the lives they were changing through their efforts.

“We don’t want people to be out there asking for money when they’re not really sure why it’s needed or whom it helps,” said Burdett. “When the contestants tour the Center, they are able to see first-hand the impact the Center has on our community. Oftentimes during the tour, they don’t even get down the first hallway before they are in tears.” Partnering with Bloomerang Fundraising has enhanced the incredible impact of the Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center, empowering them to make an even greater difference in their community.