The Challenge:
Before adopting Giveffect in 2017, Habitat for Humanity Boone County relied on several different software systems for their volunteering, fundraising, and donor management needs. These disparate systems made it difficult to organize and manage their data efficiently. Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Liz Qua expresses their challenges: “We would have to manually upload data to these separate platforms, which would take up so much time. And that doesn’t work when you have a small team like ours.” Because of this, Boone County sought out Giveffect, an all-in-one nonprofit solution.
Initially, Boone County was pleased with Giveffect’s offerings, particularly its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and peer-to-peer campaign fundraising features. However, they soon realized the need for additional support in navigating the new system.
At that time, Giveffect was a relatively new product and lacked the extensive customer success support it provides today. In need of a strong customer service team, Boone County decided to leave Giveffect and explore other software options in 2020. During this exploration, they faced familiar challenges with disconnected technologies, reminiscent of their experience before 2017. Liz Qua explains, “I wanted to avoid using several different software systems that required multiple logins and didn’t integrate well.”
Giveffect Solutions:
Seeking a solution again, Liz Qua recalled Giveffect’s all-in-one technology and wondered if its customer support services had improved since 2017. After discussing the platform’s revamped customer success support with their prospective account manager, Liz felt inclined to give Giveffect another chance, stating, “I felt like the support was there this time, and there was a pricing tier that we could use. It seemed worth it to give it another shot, and we’ve been thrilled ever since.”
1. Enhanced Customer Support
Returning to Giveffect in 2022 was hassle-free, as noted by Liz Qua. She remarks, “The onboarding process was seamless. Giveffect guided us through data migration effortlessly and without any additional fees.” Boone County also appreciated the ongoing support, including multiple onboarding sessions and regular check-ins with their account manager, Lorenzo Sibilia. The improved customer support live chat feature was especially appreciated, as Volunteer Coordinator Jess Lazarz explained, “We rely on the chat feature constantly. It’s a convenient way to get immediate answers whenever I have questions.”
2. Streamlined Volunteer Calendar & Sign-ups
Habitat for Humanity Boone County leveraged several of Giveffect’s volunteer management features that proved instrumental in their 2023 build campaign’s success. Jess Lazarz highlights the volunteer calendar as a particularly valuable tool. The calendar streamlines the process for all 1,000 volunteers to view monthly opportunities, select suitable dates and times, and schedule their shifts. This feature has revolutionized volunteer shift management, reminders, and communication, eliminating the need for manual entry. Jess Lazarz emphasizes its value during the busy home-build season in summer, noting, “The calendar simplifies the volunteer sign-up process and allows me to manage it on the backend efficiently.” With this advancement, Jess redirects her efforts from technical tasks to broader volunteer initiatives.
3. Fundraising Pages
In 2023, Habitat for Humanity Boone County leveraged Giveffect’s campaign fundraising pages, significantly contributing to the success of its 2023 Women Build initiative. Structured as a peer-to-peer campaign, the Women Build initiative mobilized 35 teams, each comprising six to ten women, with a commitment for each team to raise $2,500 upon sign-up.
Jess Lazarz shares, “The user-friendly features of Giveffect were a huge part of us surpassing our goal this year.” She specifically points out that the teams of women found it simple to share their fundraising pages with friends and family and how the gamification aspect of team fundraising effectively drew in the community. Jess remarks, “The ranking system allowed teams to see where they stood compared to others, creating an engaging atmosphere for our volunteers.”
Additionally, the integration of Venmo as a donation payment option brought in extra funds for their Women Build campaign. “One of our volunteer team members made hand-made mugs, sold them at a local craft fair, and used the linked Venmo QR code.” This method allows members to fundraise however they choose, and then the payments from Venmo are funneled directly to the linked campaign.
4. Targeted Email Communications
Giveffect’s email marketing tool has been pivotal in improving Boone County’s engagement with their supporters, especially during the bustling summer build season, which typically sees a spike in new donations. Jess Lazarz explains that new donors who opt-in for email communications via the donation form are automatically set up to receive future newsletters and updates. This seamless data flow helps to transform them into year-round supporters. “It’s incredibly beneficial; instead of managing a separate email platform, everything is seamlessly integrated in one place,” she comments. With this system, Boone County consistently engages and nurtures their supporters, ultimately building stronger relationships over time.
Fundraising Results:
Implementing Giveffect yielded remarkable results for Habitat for Humanity Boone County, particularly in their 2023 Women Build initiative, where they surpassed their $100,000 goal by 114%! Moreover, Boone County’s decision to re-adopt Giveffect in 2022 was pivotal in optimizing their operations and bolstering their fundraising efforts. This highlights Giveffect’s continued effectiveness in supporting nonprofits committed to making a significant impact.
For more information on the tools to help your Habitat achieve success during build season, schedule your Giveffect demo here.