Success Story: Donor engagement

The Bradley Impact Fund

The Bradley Impact Fund is a donor-advised fund based in Milwaukee, focused on empowering donors to achieve their philanthropic goals.

The Challenge

The Bradley Impact Fund was using a combination of Renaissance PSG for fund accounting and donor portals, alongside Salesforce as their CRM. This setup created inefficiencies and redundancies, requiring staff to maintain duplicative systems. Accounting errors and a mismatch between service levels expected by donors and what the system delivered further highlighted the need for change.

The biggest challenge was reconciling systems that didn’t talk to each other. Donors expressed frustration with the complexity of the process, and internal operations suffered from manual reconciliations and frequent errors.

“Our previous setup created unnecessary challenges for our donors and our team. We knew we needed a system that matched the level of service and efficiency our donors expect and deserve.”

- Kala Hill, Director of Donor Relations

The solution

Through a recommendation from the Technology Association of Grantmakers, they connected with Foundation Partners. Foundation Partners proposed end-to-end Fund 360 and Donor 360 solutions, which integrate Accounting Seed with Salesforce to deliver comprehensive fund accounting and donor engagement capabilities.

This allowed the Bradley Impact Fund to:

  • Transition all accounting and donor services into a unified Salesforce environment.

  • Leverage intuitive donor portals for self-service grant recommendations and real-time data access.

  • Maintain flexibility to customize solutions to fit their unique needs.

Key implementation milestones included:

  • Data Migration: Importing historical donation and grant data from Renaissance PSG and QuickBooks into Salesforce.

  • Customization: Tailoring the portal and accounting functionalities to align with the foundation’s processes and donor expectations.

  • Training and Support: A combination of webinars and hands-on support ensured staff and donors to seamlessly transition to the new system.

"There’s never been a scenario where we presented a problem and didn’t get a thoughtful, efficient solution."

- Kala Hill, Director of Donor Relations

The results

Since implementing Fund 360 and Donor 360, the Bradley Impact Fund has experienced significant improvements:

  • Enhanced Donor Experience: “Our donors now have real-time access to their fund balances, grant histories, and customized reports,” Kala said. “They love the ability to manage their accounts independently while knowing we’re here for personalized support.”

  • Operational Efficiency: Internal processes for gift entry, grant processing, and fund accounting have been streamlined. The system’s real-time data capabilities ensure accuracy and eliminate manual reconciliations between systems. “We’re able to focus more on strategic initiatives instead of being bogged down by manual tasks,” Kala noted.

  • Scalability: During peak times, such as year-end, the foundation processes up to 86 grants weekly—a significant increase from prior capabilities.

  • Strategic Insights: Advanced reporting and dashboards allow the foundation to track donor activity, campaign effectiveness, and grant impact. This data-driven approach supports strategic decision-making and helps demonstrate the foundation’s value to its board and donors.

  • Competitive Advantage: By offering unique features, such as importing historical grant data from other donor-advised funds, Bradley Impact Fund has positioned itself as a leader in donor services. “This feature has been a game-changer for attracting new donors,” Kala shared.

  • Integrated Fund Accounting: The solution allows real-time tracking of fund balances, enabling precise financial management and transparency.

  • Customizable Portal: Donors can easily generate tailored reports, replicate past grants, and interact with specific organizations.

CONCLUSION

By embracing an integrated, Salesforce-based solution, the Bradley Impact Fund has not only modernized its operations but also enhanced its ability to fulfill its mission. The partnership with Foundation Partners has enabled the foundation to scale effectively while maintaining the high level of service that donors expect. With a system designed for growth, Bradley Impact Fund is well-positioned to continue making a meaningful impact in the philanthropic space.

"Post-implementation, the system is consistent and reliable, and the team’s responsiveness ensures we always have the support we need."

  • - Kala Hill, Director of Donor Relations