Case Study: Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh grows membership and boosts mid-level giving with Blackbaud

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh use technology to grow members and donors

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh — a family of four museums serving about 1.5 million visitors with art, science and natural history programs — needed better ways to identify, engage and retain members and donors while expanding access to new, nontraditional audiences. With limited staff time and the goal of growing both mid-level giving and overall membership, the museums sought tools to build a clearer picture of prospects and reduce friction across acquisition, renewal and payment processes.

Partnering with Blackbaud, Carnegie Museums implemented integrated analytics, fundraising/CRM, marketing, payment services and screening/scoring tools, plus an automatic renewal program and credit card updater. The results: a 20% increase in mid-level donors over five years, a record 31,000 basic-level member households, 11% of members on recurring plans generating nearly $30,000/month, preservation of 130+ sustaining gifts in a key fundraising period, and overall revenue growth alongside broader, younger and more accessible membership.

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Arielle Bateman

Director of Prospect Engagement