Unless U found the Bloomerang alternative they were looking for with Givebutter—and a whole lot more

Last summer, Marye Grace Sauermann was on the hunt for a new CRM. 

As the busy Marketing and Development Director of Unless U, a nonprofit that supports adults with disabilities, she was eager to find a platform that could offer more than donor management features and make her workflow less complicated. Then, she found Givebutter. 

Before, we were paying for a donor database with Bloomerang, an email tool with MailChimp, and then for any events, we would also have to pay to outsource ticketing. We ultimately chose Givebutter over other CRMs because it could do everything all in one.

Hit play for the full story of how Marye Grace and the Unless U team:

• Streamlined their entire fundraising, marketing, and donor management system from a motley collection of platforms down to just… one  🙌
• Saved hours putting together every email blast with Givebutter Plus’ easy, eye-catching email templates 🤩
• Increased their online giving tremendously, raising over $111K in donations on Givebutter in less than a year 🎉

Meet Unless U: A sweet solution for a critical need 

Celebrating ten years of service, Unless U is an Alabama-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “fostering the growth of adults with disabilities academically, spiritually, physically, socially, and vocationally.” 

After high school, many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have limited opportunities for continuing their education. Unless U creates a college-like atmosphere for students with a range of services that promote independence and social flourishing, including on-site vocational training through their very own ice cream shop, Unless U Scoops! 

“I felt like I was always missing contacts”

After years of using Bloomerang, Marye Grace was frustrated by her out-of-date software that offered limited features and complicated integrations. Tired of importing contacts and transactions back and forth between her CRM, email platform, and the external ticketing website they used for fundraising events, she worried that potential supporters could slip through the cracks.  

We were using Bloomerang and Mailchimp, but I could never get Zapier to work. I felt like I was always missing contacts.

Missed contacts mean missed opportunities for connection and further support for their mission, and Marye Grace couldn’t take any chances. So she started looking for something that could handle everything she needed in one place. 

When she heard about Givebutter after several months of searching for a solution, Marye Grace couldn’t believe all of the user-friendly tools she now had at her fingertips: events, ticketing, peer-to-peer fundraising, texting, emails, a donor database, automated systems, and more. With a tight nonprofit budget, she knew she couldn’t afford to invest in the wrong tool. But because Givebutter offers free access to all core features, she was able to test it risk-free before making the switch.

Givebutter is so user-friendly that I know anyone on our team can pick it up. Plus, the customer service has been incredible, from onboarding to today.

Unless U soon transitioned all of their systems over to Givebutter, and they haven’t looked back.

“Now I can focus more on things that really matter”

Initially drawn to Givebutter for the lower cost and ease of having her systems in one place, Marye Grace soon realized just how impactful the individual features could be for her and for the organization as a whole.

Emails that don’t take all day to put together ✨  

After upgrading to Givebutter Plus, Marye Grace now has access not only to advanced productivity features like workflows but also hundreds of email templates in the easy drag-and-drop editor—a big upgrade from her previous clunky setup.

With MailChimp, it would have taken an hour or two to make a full email. Now with Givebutter Plus, I can knock them out in twenty minutes.

With the time and energy she’s saved, Marye Grace can focus less on whether her messages are formatted correctly and more on the things that really matter.

Events that bring the entire community together 💛 

One of Marye Grace’s favorite tools on Givebutter is the fundraising events software. 

Every year, Unless U hosts their signature multi-team fundraiser and community showcase Unless U Got Talent. On one simple landing page, Marye Grace can sell tickets, offer multiple sponsorship levels, invite teams to sign up, and display their fundraising progress. 

From big-ticket events with peer-to-peer fundraising to the smaller donor appreciation gatherings and supporter meetings she organizes throughout the year, Marye Grace is relieved by the time saved having all of these systems in the same platform as her donor database—no need to re-import transactions or contacts. 

Online donations made easier than ever 📈

Adding their Givebutter donation form to the Unless U website has streamlined the giving process and increased online contributions. 

Marye Grace credits their modern form and seamless recurring giving options for the boost, helping them raise over $111K in less than a year.

Ready to start your Givebutter success story? 

Thousands of nonprofits like Unless U are raising more and working smarter with Givebutter. From easy website donations and recurring gifts to seamless events, donor management, and everything in between, Givebutter provides all of the tools changemakers need to raise more, pay less, and give better. 

Sign up for your free Givebutter account and start your success story today.