In early 2018, the National FFA Foundation decided that it was time to search for a new donor software system. After years of using 14 separate systems for everything from donation processing and tracking to marketing appeals and membership management that did not integrate, they knew they needed one fully integrated solution that housed all constituent information in one central database. A generous donor gifted National FFA licenses to Microsoft Dynamics 365, which was a big step in the right direction.
Bentz Whaley Flessner (BWF), a consulting firm that helps nonprofits with strategic fundraising, was hired to help manage this search. Jason S. Boley, Senior Associate with BWF, was a trusted advisor to the National FFA Foundation and led the search for new software, and StratusLIVE’s Enterprise CRM Platform for Nonprofits, StratusLIVE 365, was selected in May 2018.
In the past, FFA lacked the extensive nonprofit functionality required to manage the entire organization in one fully integrated solution for financial processing, campaign management, online fundraising, more comprehensive and deeper constituent engagement, interactions, connections, and more. They recognized the unique ability of StratusLIVE 365 to meet those needs and more.
After a highly successful implementation in February 2019, StratusLIVE has now provided the foundation with one fully integrated Microsoft Dynamics 365-based solution and the ability to house all fundraising constituent information in one central database on the Enterprise CRM platform. Since the selection, the foundation is also implementing the StratusLIVE Give Now Portal.
Staci Glaser, director of development operations, National FFA Foundation stated, “StratusLIVE is loaded with functionality that we use to streamline and improve the efficiency of our fundraising tactics. With features like native integration to Microsoft Office, a direct plugin to Outlook, and the ability to access it on computers and tablets, we are more efficient in communicating with our donors and employees alike. Plus, with easy access to robust data, staff are empowered to pull their reports and build data dashboards, all in a seamless process!”
When asked, Glaser said her favorite part of StratusLIVE is that “It’s very user-friendly and easy to use. I love that you have access to data dashboards and reports at your fingertips. Also, Katie [StratusLIVE Project Manager] is one of our favorite parts of StratusLIVE.”
At the end of the project Boley, who has performed hundreds of data conversion/migration projects all over the world, said the StratusLIVE 365 implementation project with the National FFA Foundation is by far one of the most straightforward migrations he has ever experienced!
“One of the greatest rewards in the work we do at StratusLIVE is the fulfillment we feel when clients like National FFA Foundation achieve such positive results and experiences with us,” says Jim Funari, StratusLIVE CEO. “Knowing our technology plays a role in helping National FFA support more youth development, community service, and agriculture makes us very pleased to be a partner in their mission.”
About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 669,989 student members as part of 8,630 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is supported by 459,514 alumni members in 2,236 local FFA Alumni chapters throughout the U.S. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook, Twitter and official news page of the National FFA Organization.
About National FFA Foundation
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders and support the future of agricultural education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees composed of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA Alumni, the foundation is a separately registered nonprofit organization. About 82 percent of every dollar received by the foundation supports FFA members and agricultural education opportunities. For more, visit FFA.org/Give.
About Bentz Whaley Flessner
BWF is a full-service philanthropic consulting services firm headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and Washington, DC. BWF serves large- and medium-sized nonprofits in the areas of campaign management, high-net-worth fundraising, organizational consulting, data science, digital marketing, and technology. Clients include universities, health systems, and NGOs throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and the Pacific Rim. As one of the only comprehensive fundraising consulting firms, BWF has a team of consultants with extensive background and experience in every facet of philanthropy. For more information please visit http://www.bwf.com.
About StratusLIVE, LLC
StratusLIVE, a leading provider of cloud-based solutions, is committed to serving nonprofits, companies, foundations, and workplace federations in their goal to reach a greater impact for social good. The StratusLIVE suite includes StratusLIVE 365, Enterprise CRM for Nonprofits, which features enterprise-class relationship management, business intelligence, analytical marketing and online fundraising for nonprofit organizations and StratusLIVE Ignite, CSR for Companies, which creates exceptional user experiences and manages workplace giving and volunteer campaigns more effectively than ever before. The entire product suite is powered by the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform and available in the worldwide Microsoft Cloud. StratusLIVE is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with offices throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.StratusLIVE.com.