Case Study: Ducks Unlimited achieves a modern, scalable CRM and improved fundraising with Blackbaud CRM

Conservation Giant Ducks Unlimited Partners with Blackbaud to Meet its Unique CRM Needs

Ducks Unlimited, a conservation nonprofit that has preserved 14 million acres, runs more than 4,000 events annually, serves 700,000+ members, and manages over $220 million in mission revenue. The organization’s decades-old, highly customized in‑house CRM was becoming obsolete and could not scale to support a modern member experience, complex funding rules, or an expanding volunteer base—prompting CIO Govan Hornor to pursue a phased technology overhaul without disrupting core conservation work.

Following a six‑month discovery, Ducks Unlimited adopted Blackbaud CRM (with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for financials) for its cloud-based, extensible nonprofit capabilities. The solution—planned to go live in summer 2020—was chosen to streamline member and event management, simplify staff and volunteer processes, and strengthen fundraising and reporting so the organization can better leverage each donor dollar (targeting $1 into $3+ toward the mission) and grow a broader, more diverse supporter base.

Ducks Unlimited

Govan Hornor

Chief Information Officer