Key Nonprofit Highlights
Junior Achievement of Northern California (JA NorCal) equips students across Silicon Valley, Monterey Bay, Fresno, and beyond with financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship skills. From mobile Finance Park pop-ups to AI-powered student business tools, their team has consistently led with innovation. Their fundraising needed to reflect that same forward-thinking spirit and Bloomerang has been their “one-stop event hub.” They use Bloomerang to manage multiple large-scale events, incorporating silent, featured, and live auctions. A clear metric of success is their Northern California Business Hall of Fame auction, which raised more than $55,000.
Challenge
Outgrowing outdated auction tools and one-size-fits-all support
JA NorCal’s annual events are cornerstone moments for their fundraising strategy. Silent auctions, live auctions, sponsorships, and ticket sales all work together to fund programs that empower thousands of students. But their previous auction software wasn’t fully meeting their needs. As Anastasia Davis, Senior Special Events Manager, shared, “Our old system lacked customer service and that was important to us. Everything with them was, ‘Go here and look it up.’ And sometimes when you need help, that’s not good enough. I want to talk to somebody who can show me how to fix this right now.”
When Bloomerang Fundraising first launched its auction tool, as an existing customer, JA NorCal was one of the first auction adopters. Not only was Bloomerang’s customer support superior, but the auctions could handle virtual engagement, integrate with their CRM and financial systems, and give them real-time insight into performance. For an organization serving such a large and diverse region, segmentation and stewardship are also essential. As Duane Wilson, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Innovation, noted, “It’s critical for us just because we have such a large geographical area.”
Solution
A one-stop event hub with auctions, data insights, and real human support
JA NorCal leaned into Bloomerang’s fundraising tools to centralize their events, auctions, and donor engagement strategies. What began as a pandemic pivot became a long-term solution. Today, Davis manages multiple large-scale auctions each year using Bloomerang. She structures events with silent, featured, and live auction components, and she strategically keeps the silent auction open even after the in-person program ends. “When the event’s over, we don’t just want it to end that day, right? So we carry on with the silent auction for about a week after,” she explained. “This is a way for them to donate and still be a part of the event without having to be there.”
Text fundraising has also become a powerful engagement lever. “The auction will sit and nobody’s bidding, nobody’s looking, right? And then all of a sudden, I’ll send a text message out and bam, folks are bidding! It really works.” That ability to reignite excitement in real time has helped the team carry momentum through critical fundraising windows. At in-person events, JA NorCal linked QR codes to auction items to connect physical spaces to digital giving. Guests can scan signage to instantly view item details, place bids, or donate—without waiting for a volunteer to answer questions. And because the platform is intuitive, staff and volunteers can easily be trained and given the level of access they need to work in the backend. “We’re able to teach our volunteers on the spot,” Davis said. “It just makes it really easy for them to have access as opposed to something complicated.”
Behind the scenes, Bloomerang’s integrations ensure that data flows smoothly across systems. Wilson and his team use reporting tools to monitor progress, segment audiences, and personalize follow-up communication. “We can look at the reports even within Bloomerang and go, ‘Okay, this is where we’re at so far,’” he shared. “Being able to segment where our donors are, what they care about, and connect with them… it’s just another way we are able to steward relationships.”
Equally important is Bloomerang’s customer support. “Anytime I have an issue, I hear back right away,” Davis said. “And if not, they always call me back.” For a team running high-stakes events, that responsiveness makes all the difference. As Wilson put it, “Bloomerang can meet you where you’re at and not overwhelm. And if you do get overwhelmed, that’s okay. That’s where customer service kicks in.”
Results
Turning auctions into engagement engines that fuel long-term impact
With Bloomerang powering their events, JA NorCal has transformed auctions from one-night fundraisers into extended engagement engines. At the 2025 Northern California Business Hall of Fame, the event raised more than $55,000.
New reporting enhancements have also sharpened their strategy. During checkout, Davis now receives detailed performance insights. “It tells me which items were bid on the most, the highest bids, it breaks it all down for you,” she explained. Those insights inform future auction item decisions to double down on what resonates most. Beyond just fundraising, the platform has also strengthened stewardship and marketing efforts. Each event lives on a single, shareable link that includes sponsorship information, ticketing, auction access, videos, photos, and donation options. “The whole event is really right there on one link,” Davis said.
When asked what he would tell another nonprofit considering Bloomerang, Wilson emphasized its flexibility and fit: “I would recommend it because it’s essentially a one-stop shop that blends with whatever sophistication that nonprofit is. It really meets you where you are to add value to your mission and to your workflow.”
