Case Study: Citadel Brigadier Foundation achieves record $200,000 fundraising and 18% membership growth with Blackbaud's The Raiser’s Edge

The Citadel Brigadier Foundation Achieves Record-Breaking Membership Campaign and Raises $200,000 with Help from The Raiser’s Edge

The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, the philanthropic arm supporting athletics at The Citadel, wanted to overhaul its membership-drive approach in 2010 by moving from multiple scattered campaigns to one coordinated, data-driven effort. To redesign the campaign and better target likely donors, the Foundation partnered with The Kennickell Group and leveraged constituent records stored in Blackbaud’s The Raiser’s Edge.

Using Raiser’s Edge data, The Kennickell Group segmented donors into 13 target groups and produced personalized direct-mail pieces with PURLs, enabling focused outreach to high‑propensity donors (for example, alumni within 25 miles, former athletes, and senior military ranks). The targeted approach eliminated 13,000 low-probability mailings (about $6,000 saved), increased membership by 18% (exceeding a 10% goal), and helped raise a record-breaking $200,000 while bringing new donor insights and previously unrepresented segments, such as female members, into the fold.

Citadel Brigadier Foundation

Jerry Baker

Executive Director