Out of Blackbaud, into a system the whole team trusts.

The Challenge

Executive Summary

Pinky Swear Foundation's digital transformation journey showcases how strategic technology investments can revolutionize nonprofit operations and donor engagement. Their partnership with Lake One delivered remarkable results in donor communication and fundraising outcomes.

Before embarking on their digital transformation, Pinky Swear Foundation struggled with outdated systems that hindered growth and impact:
An outdated website that failed to engage potential donors effectively
Fragmented donation platforms creating friction in the giving process
Poor user experience hampering mission communication
Siloed systems made marketing and fundraising harder than it needed to be

The Solution

Lake One developed a two-tier approach to address Pinky Swear's digital challenges.
First, Lake One focused on understanding what Pinky Swear supporters wanted online. Next, Lake One focused on consolidating and simplifying technology around the donor experience.

Understanding Pinky Swear’s Supporters
Lake One's comprehensive market analysis ( the Lake One Field Guide) laid the groundwork for a data-driven transformation. To develop it, Lake One:

• Conducted thorough competitor analysis
• Performed strategic keyword research
  Analyzed content trends
• Leveraged Giving USA Report insights
• Developed targeted audience engagement strategies
  The output provided clear advice for improving the website. It showed the need to change the online giving experience. It also outlined a detailed marketing plan for the Pinky Swear team that spans several years and channels.

Improving the Donor Experience

Lake One used ideas from the Field Guide to improve donor acquisition and engagement. They focused on key areas needing work, like the Pinky Swear Website and online giving.

Website Revamp

The Pinky Swear Foundation had problems with their old website. It used WordPress CMS and had unreliable hosting. They also had a mix of page builders and plugins. Over time, this mixed setup caused problems. It became hard for the Pinky Swear team to manage the site. Visitors also found it difficult to access information or support the organization.

Lake One worked with the Pinky Swear Foundation to improve their digital setup. They combined their website CMS, hosting, and email platforms into HubSpot for nonprofits. This unified solution streamlined operations, enhanced efficiency, and equipped the team with powerful tools to better engage their audience. Key improvements included:

• Enhanced storytelling capabilities, featuring:
  • Dynamic content presentation
  • Seamless multimedia integration
  • Personal impact narratives
  • Real-time success stories
• Stronger impact communication, through:
  • Interactive data visualizations
  • Real-time program metrics

Faster execution and iteration of marketing strategies, including:

• Rapid deployment of geotargeted landing pages
• Integration of offline and online fundraising efforts
• More refined campaign reporting and ROI analysis

Unified Donation Platform Integration

After improving the website and marketing tools, the next step was to update the online giving process. Over time, Pinky Swear Foundation had accumulated a variety of giving platforms and fragmented data sets, developed to meet specific fundraising needs such as text-to-give and peer-to-peer campaigns. To address this, Lake One and Pinky Swear Foundation selected Fundraise Up as their new online giving platform. Fundraise Up was chosen because it works well with HubSpot. It uses AI and machine learning to improve donations and increase fundraising results. By implementing a unified donation system, the giving process was simplified, and the donor experience was significantly enhanced.

• Migrated from multiple platforms to Fundraise Up
• Implemented customizable donation forms
• Added real-time goal meters
• Created seamless giving options
• Integrated with HubSpot for enhanced donor management

The Results

Measurable Impact

The transformation delivered quantifiable improvements across all key performance indicators:

Financial Results

• $400,000+ raised during Annual Des Moines Iowa Radiothon
• $20,000+ in unsolicited foundation giving
• 70%+ of donors opted to cover processing fees

Operational Improvements
Key operational enhancements streamlined internal processes and external communications:

• Streamlined donation processing
• Enhanced donor communication
• Improved mission visibility
• Simplified administrative workflows

Digital Engagement
The new digital infrastructure dramatically improved user engagement metrics:

• Increased website engagement
• Improved user experience
• Enhanced mobile accessibility
• Better donor retention

HubSpot for Nonprofits Implementation Lessons
The project revealed key insights for successful digital transformation:
Success Factors

• Comprehensive digital strategy before implementation
• Focus on user experience and mobile optimization
• Integration of unified donation platform
• Strategic partner selection
• Data-driven decision making