Meet “Penny.” She is an AI fundraising “strategist” built from thousands of nonprofit consulting engagements and now resides on the fundraising, donor, and volunteer management platform Bloomerang.
“Penny” is available in beta to all customers within the Bloomerang Giving Platform, according to an announcement from the firm. “Penny” is grounded in fundraising strategies that have measurable results — translating what actually works into clear, actionable guidance so organizations can raise more, according to an announcement from the firm.
Developed through collaboration between Bloomerang’s nonprofit experts and engineering team, “Penny” combines strategy, real-time donor data, and built-in guardrails to ensure recommendations are accurate, transparent, and designed to drive results, according to Dennis Fois, chief executive officer at Bloomerang. By operating directly within the Bloomerang Giving Platform, “Penny” analyzes each organization’s full donor history — giving, engagement, and campaign performance — to deliver strategies that are specific, relevant, and immediately actionable.
“For the first time, every nonprofit can benefit from the proven playbooks and methodology we’ve developed through years of hands-on consulting with thousands of organizations,” said Fois. “We’ve seen teams achieve up to 47% cumulative revenue growth and donor retention rates two-and-half times the industry average by focusing on the right actions. Penny brings that expertise into the Giving Platform, giving every organization a trusted partner to help them decide what matters and act with confidence.”
Early adopters are seeing results. According to a statement from Bloomerang, the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields used “Penny” during a time-sensitive campaign to unlock a $1 million matching gift. With limited staff and a tight deadline, the organization used Penny to identify high-potential donors and guide outreach—ultimately raising $2.25 million and exceeding its goal.
“We live in a world where there’s no shortage of data, but for a small nonprofit, that can quickly become overwhelming,” Tyler Bradshaw, executive director of The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, said via a statement. “Penny helped us focus on what actually mattered — who we should be talking to, why, and how to approach them. Instead of guessing, we were able to be precise. That made a huge difference in helping us reach our goal under a tight deadline.”
According to Bloomerang officials, “Penny” enables fundraisers to:
- Ask questions using natural language: Fundraisers can ask questions such as “Can you prepare fundraising data for me to share in an upcoming board meeting?” or “Who gave last year but not this year?” and receive answers grounded in their donor data.
- Surface donor insights: Penny highlights opportunities and risks in real time, including lapsed-donor alerts or donors who might be ready for an upgrade.
- Follow guided strategies: When Penny identifies an opportunity, such as chgance to raise more by segmenting communications, it provides step-by-step guidance shaped by Bloomerang’s nonprofit history.
- Use smart automation: Penny supports donor segmentation, first-draft content creation, and workflow processing.
- Take direct action: Fundraisers can launch campaigns, assign follow-ups, or create donor segments directly within the Bloomerang Giving Platform.
“Nonprofits thrive when they can clearly understand their supporters and engage them in meaningful ways,” said Tommy Vacek, chief technology officer at Bloomerang, said via a statement. “Penny brings an organization’s unique donor data into focus by connecting insights with practical guidance. Fundraisers can ask direct questions about donor activity and receive recommendations informed by Bloomerang’s nonprofit expertise, making it easier to plan personalized outreach and deepen relationships with donors.”
