“I’m so grateful to Virtuous because it’s enabled us and empowered us to be more successful in our philanthropic efforts at The Contingent.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

Top Challenges Before Virtuous

• 25% of development team time was spent trying to extract data from the CRM
• Difficult reporting and tax receipting slowed down fundraising operations
• Manual data exports made analyzing fundraising performance challenging
• Limited donor visibility made it harder to prioritize outreach
• A lean fundraising team needed tools that were easier to use and manage

What They Accomplished (With Help From Virtuous)

• Raised approximately $12,000 against a $5,000 campaign goal
• Added six new monthly donors during a back-to-school campaign
• Increased the number of online recurring gifts by 35% for the program
• Saw a 14% increase in new online recurring donors for the program
• Completed a successful 45-day onboarding
• Gained automated donor insights and built-in reporting to guide fundraising decisions

Virtuous CRM+: Moving Beyond Manual Fundraising Operations

The Contingent’s work includes supporting children and families, expanding opportunities, and connecting people with resources and relationships that help communities thrive.

Rena Whittaker has spent 25 years in fundraising, working with a wide variety of donor databases along the way.

But when she joined The Contingent, the organization’s existing system made even routine fundraising tasks difficult.

Reporting was a challenge. Year-end tax receipting was nearly impossible. And the development team was spending 25% of their time just trying to access the information it needed.

After a recommendation from an internal technology colleague, The Contingent began exploring Virtuous CRM+.

A 45-Day Migration With Hands-On Support

The timing of the transition was particularly challenging.

The Contingent was approaching year-end, an existing vendor contract was coming up for renewal, and a staff member was preparing to go on maternity leave.

The Virtuous onboarding team offered to complete the migration in 45 days, allowing the organization to avoid signing another contract with its previous vendor.

For Rena, the experience stood out as much for the people involved as for the technology.

“I was blown away by not only the functionality of Virtuous, but the amazing customer service.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

The onboarding team worked closely with The Contingent to make sure its data and information were mapped correctly, and the new system was ready to use.

“It was beautifully done. We didn’t have any problems. I mean, it was shocking how well it went in such a short period of time.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

Helping Supporters Feel Seen and Heard With Virtuous CRM+

One of the biggest differences has been The Contingent’s ability to communicate with donors.

Rather than struggling with its database, the team can now use customizable communications within Virtuous CRM+ to create a more personal experience for supporters.

“They’re actually getting communication that works well from our CRM. It’s customizable. They feel seen and heard because of how we’re able to use the tools that Virtuous provides.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

That ability to respond more personally has become an important part of how the organization approaches fundraising.

See how Virtuous CRM+ helps nonprofits build stronger donor relationships →

A Back-to-School Campaign That Exceeded Its Goal With Virtuous Raise

One of The Contingent’s clearest fundraising successes came through a back-to-school campaign supporting children in foster care.

The campaign focused on helping foster children prepare for the school year with the supplies they needed.

Using Virtuous Raise, the Virtuous online giving platform, the team ran a short fundraising campaign that produced encouraging results for both overall giving and recurring donations.

The organization set a goal of approximately $5,000 and ultimately raised around $12,000.

• Campaign goal: $5,000
• Amount raised: Approximately $12,000
• New monthly donors: 6
• Increase in online recurring gifts for the program: 35%
• Increase in new online recurring donors for the program: 14%

The campaign raised approximately 2.4 times its original goal, while also bringing new recurring supporters into the program.

See how Virtuous Raise helps nonprofits grow online giving →

Prioritizing Donor Outreach With Virtuous Insights

Alongside its campaign success, The Contingent has found value in using donor data to guide its fundraising efforts.

With Virtuous Insights, the prospect research tool in the Virtuous suite, the team can access automated donor insights and update that information whenever needed.

For Rena, the biggest benefit is being able to use that information to decide where to focus the team’s attention.

“Having Insights has been such a game changer. Not only does it save time; it’s automated. We can update it at any time we want, and it helps us prioritize who we really want to focus on.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

For a leaner development team, having this information readily available helps reduce the time spent preparing data and makes it easier to identify which donor relationships deserve attention.

See how Virtuous Insights helps nonprofits prioritize donor outreach →

Built-In Reporting That Makes Fundraising Performance Clearer With Virtuous Analytics

The Contingent has also changed how it accesses and evaluates fundraising performance.

Before Virtuous, the team had to export information from its database and analyze it separately.

Now, Virtuous Analytics provides built-in reports that make fundraising data easier to access and understand.

“Before, we would have to export things and try to analyze them, but [with Virtuous Analytics], the reports are built in.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

One of the capabilities Rena highlights is the ability to review donor retention over time.

The team can compare its retention rate from the current year against previous years, giving it a clearer picture of how its fundraising program is performing.

Rather than spending time assembling reports, The Contingent can use those numbers to understand its results and inform future decisions.

“Knowing your numbers is critical for a successful program to thrive.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

A Leaner Team, Doing More

After spending much of her career in larger healthcare philanthropy organizations, Rena understands the difference between working with a large development operation and a leaner fundraising team.

At The Contingent, she appreciates having tools that both fundraisers and program directors can use without unnecessary complexity.

“I’m in a smaller shop. And I am so grateful for all the tools and the ease and grace that Virtuous provides…because it’s very intuitive for them to work with.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

The Contingent’s experience reflects what responsive fundraising can look like for a leaner organization.

With more accessible data, automated insights, personalized communications, and easier reporting, the team has more opportunities to focus on the people behind every gift.

And for Rena, the customer experience has been just as meaningful as the platform itself.

“It’s the most impressive customer service experience I’ve ever had with a CRM or even with a vendor around philanthropy.”

– Rena Whittaker, Senior Director of Generosity & Investment, The Contingent

Ready to spend less time managing your fundraising systems and more time building donor relationships?

Get started with a Virtuous demo →

Frequently Asked Questions

How does The Contingent use Virtuous CRM+?

The Contingent uses Virtuous CRM+ to manage donor information, create customizable communications, and give its fundraising team easier access to the data it needs.

How did The Contingent improve their fundraising operations with Virtuous?

Before Virtuous, The Contingent’s development team spent approximately 25% of its time trying to extract data from its database. Virtuous provides more accessible information and tools that are easier for the team to use.

How much did The Contingent raise during its back-to-school campaign?

The Contingent raised approximately $12,000 against a $5,000 goal during a back-to-school campaign supporting children in foster care.

How did Virtuous Raise support recurring giving for The Contingent?

During the back-to-school campaign, The Contingent added six new monthly donors, increased online recurring gifts for the program by 35%, and reported a 14% increase in new online recurring donors for the program.

How does The Contingent use Virtuous Insights?

The Contingent uses Virtuous Insights to access automated donor insights, update them when needed, and prioritize which supporters its fundraising team should focus on.

How does Virtuous Analytics help The Contingent?

Virtuous Analytics provides built-in fundraising reports that help The Contingent analyze performance without manually exporting data. The team can also compare donor retention across different years.

How long did The Contingent’s Virtuous onboarding take?

The Contingent completed an accelerated 45-day onboarding with support from the Virtuous team, allowing the organization to transition before renewing its previous vendor contract.