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“Sage Fundraising 100 has freed up a volunteer two days a week to take care of other office needs. And it has reduced my administrative workload by 20 percent, allowing me to focus on volunteer events and our children’s programs.”
Cindi Tramonte,
Development Assistant,
Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge
Cancer Services Celebrates Life With Sage Fundraising 100
Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge has extended a helping hand to people affected by cancer for more than 40 years. Any cancer patient can receive free equipment and supplies, such as wheelchairs, walkers, bath stools, liquid food supplements, wigs, dressings, and gloves. Those in financial need get assistance paying for prescriptions, ostomy supplies and prostheses.
The organization also hosts a wide variety of cancer support groups. The “Make Today Count” group is for patients, friends, and families. The “Life Goes On” program assists parents fighting cancer and raising children at the same time. Its “Candlelighters” chapter serves children with cancer and their siblings.
Keeping It Personal
Cancer Services sends out three major solicitations each year to a mailing list of 15,000, and receives up to 50 donations a day. Despite the enormous volume, the organization prides itself on a personalized touch, acknowledging every gift and writing special notes by hand whenever requested. “If someone wants a memorial card
signed ‘Uncle Frank and Aunt Jenny,’ we’ll make it happen,” says Cindi Tramonte, development assistant. She credits the individual attention for the group’s outstanding fundraising levels.
But customization became almost impossible due to software limitations. “It was a nightmare using our previous software,” says Tramonte. “I’d spend days double-checking addresses and salutations. We’d go through 15 steps just to do a mail merge. Finally, it got so bad that we went back to manual processing with a typewriter.”
Turning to Sage Fundraising 100
When faced with an expensive upgrade of the existing system, Cancer Services’ accountant suggested switching to Sage Fundraising 100, formerly known as GT Pro. Not only was it more economical, but it also allowed the organization to make improvements across the board.
“There’s never a time during the day when Sage Fundraising 100 is not running on my computer,” Tramonte explains. “We manage absolutely everything with it, from donations, and planned giving, to events, pledges and volunteer lists. We also run our groups and outings through the software because it’s so much easier to conduct registration, track participants, and even print name tags.”
Managing Memorials
Tramonte particularly likes the way Sage Fundraising 100 has streamlined her biggest task—the memorial acknowledgement process. “We need to process honorariums every day or they start to pile up badly,” says Tramonte. “Before getting our new software, a volunteer was spending two days a week sending out acknowledgements. Then she retired, and I assumed her duties. Now Sage Fundraising 100 takes care of it for us.”
Nine out of 10 donations are given in memory of a particular person and require a special tribute card, which Tramonte can accomplish through the software. “Just last Monday, I was able to easily process three days worth of memorials, about 100 cards, thanks to Sage Fundraising 100. This would have never been possible before. We even kept up with our workload in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,” she says.
Showcasing the Chefs
The biggest fundraiser of the year for Cancer Services is the Capital Chef Showcase, a continuous cocktail buffet featuring food from the area’s finest restaurants and caterers. Last year the event raised nearly $180,000. Sage Fundraising 100 helps with all aspects of the event’s organization.
“We set up the various committees in the software,” Tramonte notes. “And we run terrific reports for the event. For example, we can separate the silent auction winners from money generated through ticket sales and guest donations.”
Cancer Services tracks complex relationships between groups of individuals using the “Circles” feature in Sage Fundraising 100. Placing the cancer patient at the center, they organize a circle of related people around the patient, and view the total giving made by members of the group, a very useful function for financial analysis.
Significant Savings
Cancer Services saved time during implementation by utilizing Sage Software’s training services. “The conversion to Sage Fundraising 100 went much smoother than I would have ever imagined,” says Tramonte. “Working with both the trainer who came to our location and the telephone support staff was a dream. Even when I expected them to become irritated at my silly questions, they were pleasant.”
The organization has also saved considerable time and money using the software. “Sage Fundraising 100 has freed up a volunteer two days a week to take care of other office needs. And it has reduced my administrative workload by 20 percent, allowing me to focus on volunteer events and our children’s programs,” Tramonte says.
