Case Study: Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area achieves a nearly $1M fundraising turnaround and 300% major gift growth with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT and Target Analytics

How this chapter exceeded fundraising projections by $1 million after charting a new course with a data-driven approach

Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area—which consolidated three chapters to serve families with ill children across Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and neighboring communities—faced a worrying decline in contributed income and event revenue that left the chapter $1 million short in the first year after the merger and threatened long-term sustainability.

By adopting Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT, Target Analytics and ResearchPoint and creating a dedicated data health and strategy role, the development team moved from transaction-based to data-driven fundraising: targeting the right prospects, tailoring asks, and engaging board members. The results were swift and dramatic—recapturing 600+ donors, boosting the year-end appeal 44% to $832,065, adding 14 major donors, increasing major gift revenue 300%, raising $496,000 through board efforts, and exceeding contributed income projections by nearly $1 million.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area

Bri Seoane

Vice President of Development & Strategic Partnerships