The Virtuous Difference
- Identified major donor engagement opportunities
- Tracked donor giving behavior with real data
- Saved hours on reporting tasks
Top challenges Alabama Arise needed to address:
- Find a new donor management system that’s user-friendly and prioritizes data health
- Build stronger relationships with supporters by making every interaction more personal
- Use automation to send more targeted donor communications and reduce manual tasks
Overcoming Database and Support Limitations From Its Previous System
Alabama Arise, a dedicated policy advocacy organization, faced significant challenges with its previous nonprofit CRM. Alabama Arise’s old system made it hard to track donors, pull reports, and keep records accurate. It was confusing to use, and only a few team members could manage it, leaving the rest of the staff without access to key donor information.
The CRM’s clunky and disorganized tools made tracking donor information cumbersome and resulted in poor data hygiene. Moreover, the CRM’s complex interface was only manageable by a few team members, stifling collaboration across teams. To compound the difficulties, customer support calls frequently ended in frustration, with unresolved issues that exacerbated the team’s challenges.
“Often we called [customer support], we found that we were more the experts on what was happening than they were… It was a convoluted platform and not very user-friendly. There were just like one or two of us that knew how to use [the system], so the whole team couldn’t participate.” — McKenzie Burton, Development Associate at Alabama Arise
Alabama Arise strived to make every supporter feel as valued as a major donor, but its old system fell short in delivering this level of personalization at scale. The team needed a responsive fundraising platform that would enable deeper, more personal connections with donors, even with its limited resources. This quest for better engagement ultimately led the team to Virtuous.
A Nonprofit CRM Built for Better Data, Collaboration & Fundraising
Before Virtuous, Alabama Arise didn’t have reliable donor information.. The switch marked a turning point, providing the team with data insights it could actually use. The organization can now accurately gauge campaign effectiveness, understand donor communication preferences, and monitor recurring donations.
“The campaigns and segment codes really help us. We always would try to do a recap of the effectiveness of our fundraising campaigns, but this has allowed us to really have something to point to and be more confident in our analysis of it.” — McKenzie Burton, Development Associate at Alabama Arise
With wider team access to the CRM software, there’s improved visibility and participation across projects. Teams less directly involved with funding now better understand and utilize the database to inform fundraising initiatives and target specific types of supporters, leading to more productive use of data across the board. For instance, the organizing team can quickly pinpoint and engage with supporters in specific districts who care about certain policy issues.
Alabama Arise’s day-to-day operations have also significantly improved with Virtuous. The responsive CRM handles the repetitive tasks—like tagging donors and generating thank-you notes—freeing the team to focus on what really matters: genuine, personal interactions with donors. This blend of efficiency and human touch has eased its workflow, allowing them to better connect with its community.
“We have thresholds of types of people that we write handwritten thank-you notes to, and we have an automation [for] that. It used to be that… our team had to manually pull all those things, send them to me, and keep them updated. Now Virtuous does that—it’s completely eliminated that task for someone on our team.” — McKenzie Burton, Development Associate at Alabama Arise
Additionally, improved reporting tools and better processes for managing annual statements have cut down drastically on administrative work. This shift allows the team more time to focus on strategic initiatives and strengthen donor relationships.
“As a development associate, I’m on Virtuous every day… It streamlines some of the regular processes that I might otherwise do. Virtuous also helps me know information on our donors and when and how to reach them so I can build the relationship better.” — McKenzie Burton, Development Associate at Alabama Arise
Personalized Engagement at Every Stage of the Donor Journey
Alabama Arise now makes every interaction with its supporters feel special, thanks to Virtuous’ ability to track individual interests using custom fields. This feature allows the team to zero in on what each donor is passionate about, ensuring that each update the team sends is right on target with what truly matters to them.
With powerful querying capabilities, the team effortlessly acknowledges its long-term supporters with automated thank-you messages, making the process of showing appreciation both efficient and human. This approach saves time and deepens connections with the organization’s most devoted supporters.
Take, for example, a success with a new major donor. Using Virtuous, the Alabama Arise team quickly identified and reached out to this donor in a personalized way, which not only resulted in deeper engagement but also a notable increase in their donation.
“We tagged [the major donor] with issues he said he cares about—exactly the things he said he would be interested in… just catching him up on things personally rather than the bigger marketing emails. He ended up coming to our annual meeting and brought friends with him. Ultimately, he increased his gift this year.” — McKenzie Burton, Development Associate at Alabama Arise
Ready to unlock better giving opportunities with a data-driven nonprofit CRM? Schedule a demo with our team and start your journey to responsive fundraising.
