Key Nonprofit Highlights
Hope Clinic for Women in Nashville, TN provides medical care, professional counseling, education, mentorship, and practical support for women in their community. Hope Clinic for Women transformed their fundraising auctions by adopting Bloomerang’s mobile bidding platform, replacing outdated paper processes. The new system streamlined check-in, bidding, and checkout, reducing logistical challenges and freeing up staff to focus on donor engagement. It also allowed remote participation, expanding their reach. The clinic raised over $19,000 at their auction, including $9,625 through mobile bidding, and significantly improved the experience for both their team and supporters. Encouraged by the success, they plan to explore more features to enhance future events.
Challenge
Paper auction bids held back fundraising growth
Hope Clinic for Women had extensive experience hosting fundraising auctions. These events had long been a staple of their community engagement, but the process wasn’t without significant obstacles. Relying on paper bids created logistical headaches, especially during checkout. Managing payments manually meant confusion and delays, while staff worked tirelessly to track down unpaid bids and ensure items didn’t accidentally leave the venue without payment.
The process was taxing and drew time away from the clinic’s critical mission to provide medical care, counseling, and support to women in need. They knew something had to change. Moving away from paper and adopting a digital solution for check-in, bidding, and checkout became a clear necessity—not just to improve efficiency but to reduce stress on their dedicated team and deliver a better experience for their supporters.
Solution
Bloomerang Fundraising’s Auction features enable both in-person and remote auction bidders
Hope Clinic for Women partnered with Bloomerang Fundraising to revolutionize their event management. By adopting Bloomerang’s auction platform with mobile bidding capabilities, the team shifted away from their arduous traditional methods. With this powerful tool in hand, they meticulously prepared to ensure that their next auction would be seamless and inspiring for everyone involved.
A key strategy was allowing VIP guests to check in early, which relieved bottlenecks during peak times. Yet, the clinic’s leadership initially worried that some older donors, typically in their 50s and 60s, might struggle with the mobile app. However, their fears proved unfounded. As their Development Coordinator, Mary Beth Montgomery noted, “At first, we were a little worried that our guests would have a bit of trouble with an app. Their fears were allayed when check-in went off without a hitch!”
Bloomerang’s platform also empowered remote participation, expanding access to their auction. Guests unable to attend in person could still actively bid on items and contribute to the mission. “One of our volunteers was unable to attend the event, but she was able to bid from the comfort of her home on items she was interested in,” shared Montgomery. “It was so easy for her. Just seeing that it’s an option from now on is super helpful.”
By leveraging Bloomerang’s app, Hope Clinic also simplified the auction’s close. When guests came to retrieve items, they had already paid digitally, drastically reducing the chaos and stress of checkout. This simple, yet impactful change freed staff to focus on stewarding relationships with donors and celebrating a successful evening.
Results
Bloomerang Fundraising is simpler than anything from the past
Hope Clinic for Women raised more than $19,000 during their auction, including $9,625 processed through Bloomerang’s mobile bidding feature. The streamlined check-in and checkout process significantly lightened the load on their team, enabling them to dedicate their energies to building deeper connections with their supporters. “It was a lot simpler than anything we’ve done in the past,” Montgomery explained. “We weren’t having to sit there with a calculator to add it up and then put it into Square and charge their cards.” The results extended beyond just a smoother process—they transformed the experience for everyone involved. Encouraged by their success, Hope Clinic plans to explore additional features from Bloomerang, such as push notifications, to further elevate future events.
