Most organizations find Bloomerang software easy to use and simple to manage. New users can get up and running in Bloomerang with little or no training. So if Bloomerang is so easy to use, manage, and setup, why would an organization consider working with a Bloomerang consultant?  Maximize your investment in Bloomerang and take your Bloomerang database to the next level with support from a Bloomerang expert consultant.

Why Bloomerang Software Consulting?

Bloomerang is simple to use by design. But don’t let Bloomerang’s simplicity fool you. Beneath its simplicity is a very functional, capable, and powerful toolset.

A consultant’s goal is to help you get the most from your Bloomerang software system. There are nine tasks where support from a Bloomerang consultant can increase the capacity and capability of your Bloomerang database.

1. Implementation

Every organization’s Bloomerang journey starts with implementation. Bloomerang doesn’t require a robust implementation project. A Bloomerang implementation commonly focuses on data migration from an existing data system (if you have one). Bloomerang’s conversion team is fantastic at getting historical data from your existing data system into your new Bloomerang database, but you may consider a Bloomerang consultant to help you navigate the decisions and strategy behind your data migration.

Data migrations can be overwhelming and the decisions that need to be made during a migration may be foreign to you. Having an advocate to guide you through these decisions increases the chances of a successful migration. A Bloomerang consultant will provide targeted recommendations on keeping or archiving old data and help your organization map old data to the best places in your new Bloomerang database. A Bloomerang consultant will look at how your data is structured and how best to migrate that data so your new Bloomerang database is clean and healthy.

The implementation of Bloomerang’s core features like emails, letters, constituent profiles, and reports are relatively straightforward. Many organizations choose to dive right in. Diving right in isn’t a bad decision, but a guided implementation of core features can save time and reduce risk. A quick consultation with a Bloomerang expert can help because they will point out what to look for, what potholes to avoid, and how to set up the database for success.

2. Imports and Data Migration

Bloomerang will most likely conduct the initial data migration during a Bloomerang implementation, but there may be other data to migrate into Bloomerang both during implementation and in an on-going format. Bloomerang imports from external nonprofit data management systems take time and energy. You may choose to outsource the time, energy, and risk of an import to a Bloomerang consultant since Bloomerang imports can affect data quality. Bloomerang consulting may be helpful for both one-time imports and recurring imports.

3. Funds, Campaigns, and Appeals

Bloomerang software has many great features, but the fund, campaign, and appeal fields are the most important features in the database.

The fund, campaign, and appeal fields segment transaction data. Each field is exclusive of the others so you can segment transactions by each field independently or in combination. When set up properly, these three fields tell you which fundraising strategies are effective, which ones aren’t, and measure real-time fundraising performance toward your goals.

Tracking fundraising performance in Bloomerang relies on the proper setup of the fund, campaign, and appeal fields. A Bloomerang consultant can build a fund, campaign, and appeal structure that translates your fundraising strategic plan into your Bloomerang database so you can report on fundraising progress. The structure of funds, campaigns, and appeals in Bloomerang varies from organization to organization, but there are specific ways to maximize these fields, enhance reporting, and provide more clarity on fundraising performance.

4. Custom Fields

Bloomerang is a blank canvas. It comes out of the box with a basic set of features for data tracking. That basic structure is customizable with custom fields. Bloomerang custom fields expand your database’s data collection and reporting capabilities.

Custom fields can be added to the constituent profile, transaction, interaction, and note. Use Bloomerang custom fields to track moves management, major gift fundraising, prospects, planned giving, volunteers, volunteer activities, event attendance, event purchases, grants, funnels, pipelines, workflows, surveys, and more.

Bloomerang consultants know how to get the most from Bloomerang custom fields. The placement of custom fields is critical. Do you put a field on the profile or the interaction?  Should the field be text or a dropdown?  These are questions a Bloomerang consultant can answer.

Custom fields also require custom reporting, user guides for data entry, and potentially training. Custom fields may also require custom processes that define how your users enter data, interact with data, and use the database. These elements require careful planning and execution. A Bloomerang consultant will make sure your organization is set up for success with a custom field build-out.

5. Process Development

Bloomerang should save time by streamlining processes and making daily work easier. For example, donation acknowledgements should be automated using defined processes because Bloomerang doesn’t send automated acknowledgements (except when a donation is entered through an online donation form).

Processes define how users interact with the software. Save time by designing a daily or weekly process to generate acknowledgement letters. Setup the filters, templates, and step-by-step procedures so users can run the same process every time. Repetitive processes that are clearly defined become a habit and reduce the time to complete in the future.

Integration with other data management systems is another area where process development will save time, energy, and stress. Bloomerang has a Zapier app that allows easy integration between your Bloomerang database and other data management systems that also have a connection to Zapier. Imports and defined processes are often a great alternative option for integrating an external data management system with Bloomerang. A Bloomerang consultant can define the specific process to get data from one system to the other using imports.

6. Reporting

Bloomerang uses filter-based reporting and is intuitive for most users. In addition, Bloomerang chat support is available to help with custom reports. Bloomerang reports are intuitive and Bloomerang software support is available to help when needed, so why would an organization consider Bloomerang consulting for reports?

There are two instances where report help from a Bloomerang consultant may be valuable.

1. First, you might consider developing standard, operational reports with help from a consultant if your organization isn’t running recurring reports now. A consultant will define important organizational metrics, develop the reports you need to measure those metrics, and train you on how to run them in the future.
2. Second, not every metric and data set you need to report on can be generated in Bloomerang software. The Bloomerang reporting system is basic. More advanced data analysis may be needed. Raw data sets from Bloomerang must be exported to Excel to conduct in-depth analysis. A consultant will define how to extract raw Bloomerang data and how to manipulate that data in Excel to get the information you need.

7. Website Integration

Bloomerang can be fully integrated with your website. Bloomerang has online form templates for donations, event registration, email sign-ups, volunteer activity, and more. Bloomerang also has a website visit tracking feature to provide your organization with insights on constituent online engagement. The online form and website visit tracking features are relatively straightforward to implement, but may require the help of your web developer.

You can also link custom web forms from a third-party platform to your database with Bloomerang’s Zapier app. The Zapier app allows you to connect your Bloomerang database to web form software that can provide conditional logic, better design, and expanded customization features. Common web form software that can integrate easily with your Bloomerang database include Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Formstack, Classy, FundraiseUp, and more.

A Bloomerang consultant or developer may be necessary if you want to customize a donation or email subscription form using Bloomerang’s self-hosted form functionality. A Bloomerang consultant may also be necessary if you are looking to build a more complex web form for donations, event ticketing, or registrations using the Bloomerang Zapier app.

8. Training and Workshops

Most users find Bloomerang easy to learn. Bloomerang provides free access to training videos. For most organizations, this is enough training support to get started. For other organizations, this isn’t enough support.

Organizations that want more Bloomerang training and guidance can call on a Bloomerang consultant for custom training or a Bloomerang workshop. A Bloomerang consultant will develop a custom training curriculum that matches your specific requirements, train you in your Bloomerang database, answer questions in a 1-on-1 format, and be more specific and relevant than generalized training resources.

9. Data Quality

A Bloomerang consultant can also support your organization with data quality. Bloomerang data quality is important for the long-term health of your database. It is also important for the success of your fundraising efforts.

A Bloomerang consultant can conduct a review of how your organization operates and outline specific ways to manage data quality that align with your operations. Data quality procedures may include data quality reports, data quality reviews, schedules for data enrichment, and assessments of existing data quality.

Get the Most from Bloomerang with Consulting

We are Bloomerang consultants, so we are biased on the topic of hiring a Bloomerang consultant. We recognize that a consulting relationship isn’t for everyone. Bloomerang is straightforward for most users, but for those that want a little extra guidance or those that want to maximize their investment, Bloomerang consulting is a viable way to take your Bloomerang database to the next level.