How customized Bloomerang Fundraising forms boosted giving by 47%

Key Nonprofit Highlights

Founded in 1979, Merit School of Music transforms lives by removing barriers to high-quality music education for a diverse community of over 3,000 students in Chicago, IL. With 100% of graduates continuing to college, the school's commitment to unlocking each student's potential runs deep. In 2012, after years of juggling multiple disconnected fundraising systems, Merit turned to Bloomerang Fundraising to unify their giving experience. Within a year of switching to Bloomerang, the school saw a 47% increase in donations and a 16% rise in general gifts. By replacing legacy tools with a single, customizable platform, the team gained the flexibility to build branded, event-specific campaigns with real-time agility and, more recently in 2024, drove raffle ticket sales up 13.75% as a result.

Challenge

Managing a fragmented fundraising experience across disconnected systems

Digital giving wasn't new for Merit School of Music, even in 2012. For years, the organization managed multiple platforms to handle donations, event ticketing, and donor stewardship. But the experience was anything but seamless. Customization was limited, backend processes were cumbersome, and the lack of integration between systems created friction at every touchpoint. 

Maggie Lin, Donor Database Manager at Merit School of Music, put it plainly: "The donation experience should feel seamless for supporters while remaining simple to manage on the backend." The old setup fell short on both counts, and the team knew it was time for a change.

Solution

Centralizing fundraising and event ticketing with Bloomerang Fundraising

Merit School of Music found what they'd been looking for in Bloomerang Fundraising. The platform replaced their patchwork of disconnected tools with a single, purpose-built solution nearly 15 years ago, and it still remains an asset that gives the team full flexibility without sacrificing ease of use today. "Bloomerang Fundraising has helped us move beyond legacy challenges by replacing multiple disconnected systems with a single, streamlined solution," said Lin. "Its intuitive interface and flexible customization—whether for everyday giving or event ticketing—make it easy for both our team and our community to navigate."

The Merit team created custom form fields to capture key donor information, such as identifying graduates to invite into Merit's alumni network, and used personalized automated receipts to deliver immediate, meaningful acknowledgments with every gift. “We can upload custom backgrounds, icons, and full event pages, as well as offer tools like discount codes and tailored giving prompts. The ability to customize fields ensures we capture the right donor information while providing a consistent, on-brand experience for our community,” explained Lin. “The level of customization offered through Bloomerang helps us better understand our donor base and supports more thoughtful, targeted engagement.”

Data visualizations and monthly snapshots from Bloomerang Fundraising gave the development team a clear view of performance trends, making it easier to act on informed, data-driven decisions about campaign strategy and donor outreach. Real-time responsiveness became one of the team's defining advantages. “Seeing donors engage so smoothly within these experiences has been a particularly meaningful example of how the platform helps us connect our marketing vision with real fundraising impact,” Lin shared.

Results

Growing event revenue and expanding the impact of every giving opportunity

The results came quickly. Within a year of switching to Bloomerang, the school saw a 47% increase in donations and a 16% rise in general gifts. “We most frequently use Bloomerang Fundraising’s customizable donation forms for events, raffle ticket sales, and gala fundraising,” said Lin. “These tools allow us to tailor each form to the specific ask—such as streamlined raffle forms for smaller Associate Board events and more detailed Gala forms that include sponsorship opportunities and additional giving options.” By customizing their event raffle ticket sales forms and activating Bloomerang Fundraising's built-in coupon code functionality, Merit School of Music increased raffle ticket sales by 13.75% since 2024. 

For Lin, the platform's value showed up well beyond any single data point. "Without the right technology, nonprofits can fall behind—slowing their ability to support students and families effectively," she said. "That's why we value our partnership with Bloomerang. It helps streamline our work and creates a seamless experience for our community, so we can stay focused on what matters most: supporting our students and expanding access to music education."

With Bloomerang’s more powerful and flexible platform in place, Merit School of Music is positioned to keep growing both their fundraising numbers and the depth of their impact for students across its Chicago community.