Case Study: Junior Achievement of Northern California raises $337,651 through a virtual gala and auction with Bloomerang Fundraising

Junior Achievement of Northern California Raises Over $335,000 with Virtual Gala and Auction

Junior Achievement of Northern California, the regional arm of the 101-year-old youth education nonprofit, needed to pivot its annual Business Hall of Fame gala when COVID-19 made an in-person event impossible. Their previous auction software was costly and offered poor customer support, so they needed a user-friendly, CRM-integrated auction solution to preserve critical fundraising revenue in a virtual format.

They moved the gala online and adopted Qgiv’s auction tools—valuing the CRM integration, competitive pricing, and responsive support—then livestreamed via YouTube Live, added auction items to Qgiv, promoted a $50,000 matching gift, used text-to-donate and the Givi app, and added web countdowns and calendar links. The virtual gala raised $337,651 (over $37,000 above a $300,000 goal), attracted nearly 200 participants (generating $76,000+ in registration fees), saved staff time through better reporting and event tools, and convinced the team to continue using Qgiv for future events.

Junior Achievement of Northern California

Lawrence Folsom

Community Outreach Coordinator