The Challenge
Inflexible Legacy Systems
When Beth Fisher arrived at Mel Trotter Ministries, the very first question she asked the team was, “can I see the systems?” After 25 years as a CMS professional, she understood the necessity of a software that solved problems for the staff, rather than created extra work.
What she saw was 18 years of workarounds. Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge couldn’t address their specific needs as an organization. Processes were disparate, with some teams completely removing the platform from their workflow in order to accomplish their responsibilities. Within three months, Beth knew they needed to make a change now in order to sustain and grow.
Common Complaints
- Long wait-times with extra charges for 3rd party support not included in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge
- Poor user interface and difficult processes forced team members to avoid software when possible
- Unable to see individual tasks and activities to ensure most efficient development strategies
- Limited visibility and lack of access to the right data
- Siloed communications made multi-channel campaigns impossible
“We’re process-obsessed at this point. We don’t just use [Automation] for interacting with donors, we also use it to tell our team what their next best tasks are.”
— Beth Fisher, SVP & Chief Development Officer
How We Helped
From discovery and data migration to the day-to-day support, Virtuous listened to the entire Mel Trotter Ministries team, working to understand their operations and what they need most from a nonprofit CRM. With expertise and a custom migration plan, we were able to set them up for success in just a few months.
Comprehensive Support Included
Beth and the entire MTM team felt supported, heard and understood by the Virtuous team. Prior to adopting Virtuous, the team paid an “exorbitant amount of money to a third party that was 7 hours ahead of us.” To this day, Beth says she has never heard anyone say Virtuous wasn’t available with the right answer and the best next steps for their objective.
Instant ROI with Automation
By day 2, Mel Trotter Ministries was ready to set up an automation workflow to contacts in their database. That single send led to 26 new donors. Instantly, Beth and the entire team saw the ROI of being able to see all their data in a single place and create meaningful engagements based on donor personas.
Process Improvement Leads to Opportunities
“We’re process-obsessed at this point,” Beth said when describing the new ways the team can be effective using Virtuous. Mel Trotter Ministries immediately implemented automated welcome series, first-time gift follow up, thank you calls from the CEO based on anniversaries and more.
The added bonus from Virtuous is the Mel Trotter Ministries team can “use workflow for data clean up. We don’t just use it for interacting with donors, we also use it to tell our team what their next best tasks are.”
With the help of Virtuous Automation, Mel Trotter Ministries is already brainstorming new subscription-based fundraising and other ways to keep in touch with donors throughout the year.
Access to Real, Actionable Data
One of the most important features Mel Trotter Ministries needed from their new nonprofit CRM was a better user interface. Many on the team found Raiser’s Edge to be impenetrable. As soon as they migrated over to Virtuous, the very first observation was how clean and accessible the data was.
“I remember saying it’s here. Everything is here. It was the smoothest transition I’ve ever been a part of.” And it continues to work for her team as they create new donor experiences and better engagements that lead to improved retention.
Responsive Platform Fit to MTM Needs
Virtuous stood out as the right choice to Beth and the entire Mel Trotter Ministries team because it responded to what they needed and the way they need to use their platform. She said, “other CRMs had their playbook and their processes and said ‘good luck’. They wanted us to fit into their model. Virtuous isn’t like that. We were always listened to.” Not only did that communication help the migration process, but it also helped more team members get on board much faster.
Her advice to other nonprofit professionals looking to make the switch: “really make sure you’re being heard and being understood in terms of how you plan to use a software platform. It could be the one you will use for the next 18 years, like Virtuous is for us.”
