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Customer story: Youth Talk
From spreadsheet headaches to CRM success
Tucked away in St Albans, there’s a hidden gem - Youth Talk, a mental health charity offering free, confidential counselling to young people aged 13-25. Their mission is simple but profound - create a safe space for young people, giving them the opportunity to talk to a professional who can help.
As young people face unprecedented uncertainties and disruptions; the Youth Talk team has been tackling rising demand. Raising funds to enable service growth, and to keep up with local need, is critical for the small but mighty team of staff, counsellors, volunteers and trustees.
Donorfy
Mental health
Professional package
Challenges
- Information scattered across paper files, making reporting difficult
- Missed opportunities to claim Gift Aid and maximise income
- Hard to keep track of multiple fundraising streams and volunteer activity
Solution
- Chose Donorfy for its simple pricing, wide feature set and integrations
- Centralised all supporter, fundraising, and volunteer data into one system
- Guidance and best practice from Donorfy’s fundraising-savvy team
Results
- Secured £10,000 immediately through Gift Aid claims after years of missed income
- Raised an extra £20,000 through BNI thanks to streamlined reporting with campaigns
- Saved time and stress by simplifying volunteer recruitment and event logistics
Donorfy has helped us streamline fundraising data a lot more, track our income better, and budget and forecast better. We’ve acquired more income because of Gift Aid management and that’s made a huge difference.
Growing pains
Back in 2020, Youth Talk faced a challenge - a lack of being able to store information centrally. It was having a wide-ranging impact - two decades of incredible work, yet information was scattered, lingering in paper trails and the minds of clinical volunteers.
Grant applications and reports were slipping through the cracks. Gift Aid claims were being overlooked, so they were losing out on vital funds. Keeping track of different income streams was tricky, and volunteer activity was randomly recorded.
It’s a struggle many charities will recognise, and was their catalyst for looking for a charity CRM that would give them the sustainability, organisation and security they needed to grow with demand.
The Donorfy-shaped solution
After extensive research, they chose Donorfy for its simple pricing structure, wide-ranging features and integrations.
“After looking into the various options, and what would be best for our small but ambitious and growing charity, we chose Donorfy. I liked lots of things, but particularly the fee structure.”
Fundraising Manager Rachel also appreciated that experienced fundraisers are the brains behind it. In fact, a member of the team who used Donorfy in a previous fundraiser role, showed them how to utilise Donorfy for trusts and grants at the Donorfy Together Conference.
“I love that I can speak to someone with fundraising experience themselves; I’ve found the advice and opinions of the team really useful.”
Donorfy served as the linchpin, offering a unified solution for consolidating vital data, while enhancing donor and fundraising management. The transition symbolised a shift towards a more organised and digitised approach, aligning everything they needed within one integrated platform.
Embracing growth and diversifying fundraising
This collaborative venture goes beyond a mere software solution; it's a testament to the transformative power of technology when paired with the passion and dedication of a dynamic team like Youth Talk. Here are just a few of the amazing things that have been achieved:
Unlocking £10,000 with Gift Aid
Prior to Donorfy, the team hadn’t submitted a Gift Aid claim in over two years. Now, with income management features, they made a claim for £10,000 off the bat. Being able to automatically claim Gift Aid has helped them to have a reliable stream of regular income, contributing to meeting their goals and forecasting for their future.
A key player in £20,000 BNI boost
Through BNI Alban Youth Talk have raised an extra £20,000 in less than a year. BNI has strict stipulations for tracking the referrals (donations) received, particularly the weekly positive contributions. Donorfy removed the headache. Through the campaigns feature they were able to provide regular reporting quickly and efficiently.
“Donorfy saved a lot of time and energy on the administration of BNI, enabling us to report and keep on top of weekly referrals and thus expanding our supporter base in the local business community.”
Elevated volunteer operations
By creating an integrated online form for volunteer applications, they’re enjoying a simplified and centralised recruitment and onboarding process for the amazing volunteers the service relies on. Facilitating effective tracking of volunteer logistics, the team are saving time and hassle by managing volunteer-led fundraising campaigns effectively too.
Danceathon logistics made easy
Youth Talk maximised Donorfy’s forms feature to streamline the administration of their Danceathon fundraising event. Configuring different forms for different sessions, participant sign-up and payment information fed straight through to their constituent timelines, easing registration and helping with logistics.
Youth Talk’s story shows what’s possible when a small charity harnesses the right tools. Donorfy has become the central hub they needed. With online forms, income management, and event logistics all tied together, they’re saving time and building stronger supporter relationships.
“It’s been great to have one central management system everyone can use with all info in one place."
Discover Donorfy
It's easy to explore the benefits of Donorfy for yourself - you can start a no-strings free trial, or download the brochure to dive into the details. Fancy a chat instead? Contact our charity tech experts. We’re always happy to help you find the right setup for your charity.