Accelerating Major Gift Fundraising: How Mobile Baykeeper Transformed Donor Engagement with DonorSearch

Client: Mobile Baykeeper

Industry: Environmental 

“I would tell them that using DonorSearch saves you time and improves your fundraising ROI by helping you create a specific list of prospects that are more likely to give larger gifts to your organization. It’s extremely useful.”

Client Overview:

Mobile Baykeeper is an environmental advocacy and community engagement organization located on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama. For 27 years, they have worked to defend and revive the health of coastal Alabama’s waters. Their mission is to ensure that the waters are safe for swimming, seagrasses and oyster reefs are restored, and local communities take responsibility for the health of the coastal environment.

Challenge:

• Heavy reliance on grant funding, with membership as a secondary fundraising strategy.
• Difficulty securing major gifts due to skepticism about the environmental movement in Alabama.
• Limited in-person interactions during the pandemic necessitating a strategic pivot toward focusing on major donors.
• Challenges of limited resources and restricted donor engagement opportunities.

Results:

• Mobile Baykeeper successfully launched a major donor program in 2023, meeting their three-year fundraising goal within the first year.
• With DonorSearch’s support, the organization identified high-potential prospects from their existing donor base, significantly increasing major gifts.
• This success enabled them to hire additional staff, create new departments, and enhance the impact of their work on coastal Alabama’s water quality.

Solution/Strategy:

In 2022, with the appointment of a new Executive Director and a renewed commitment to developing a major donor program, Mobile Baykeeper sought to double its budget within three years. They turned to DonorSearch, recommended by a mentor, as a comprehensive wealth screening tool to identify potential major donors from their existing database. DonorSearch provided valuable insights into donor capacity and philanthropic interest, enabling the organization to conduct a feasibility study and launch its major donor program in 2023.

Benefits:

• Efficient Donor Prospecting: DonorSearch helped Mobile Baykeeper prioritize their existing donors, allowing them to focus on high-capacity individuals and improve their return on investment.
• Seamless Implementation: The DonorSearch platform’s straightforward user experience enabled quick adoption, saving time and resources.
• Personalized Support: The dedicated customer success team at DonorSearch provided ongoing assistance through webinars, quick responses, and tailored support, ensuring Mobile Baykeeper maximized the tool’s potential.

Conclusion:

With DonorSearch, Mobile Baykeeper transformed its fundraising approach, transitioning from a grant-reliant strategy to a major donor-focused model. The organization achieved remarkable growth in just one year, exceeding its three-year fundraising goal and expanding its capacity to protect and restore coastal waters. DonorSearch’s wealth screening capabilities and exceptional customer support played a pivotal role in their success.