Eastern Connecticut Health Network
Nina Kruse, Director of Development at the Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN) Community HealthCare Foundation in Manchester, CT, gave her staff an assignment in early 2009. She wanted them to use two different prospect research products in a side by side comparison to inform their decision-making. Following the head to head evaluation, WealthEngine’s solution won the confidence of the ECHN staff.
In addition to the breadth and quality of data, some key features that made their research more efficient and detailed put WealthEngine over the top:
- Circle of Friends.Kruse explains, “This feature tells us who we know that a prospect knows. It’s particularly valuable in our corporate relations and special events fundraising.”
- Ability to search for small businesses, corporations and foundations.
- Estimated gift capacity ranges. Kruse notes, “Staff found them both valuable and highly accurate.”
- Propensity to Give (P2G) scores facilitate segmentation and targeting.
- The quality of match (QOM) feature helps to ensure research accuracy.
Initially, Kruse herself selected WealthEngine because of the price; it was one-third of the cost of a competing product. However, she says that she’s renewed year after year with WealthEngine because of the high level of customer service. She explains, “WealthEngine’s customer service staff members are passionate, confident and experienced fundraising professionals. They are all people I truly feel are dedicated to serving me, my staff and the foundation.”
Turning Challenges into Solutions
When Kruse explained two challenges that she was having in acting on data found in FindWealth Online, WealthEngine’s client service team addressed these challenges and provided solutions:
Challenge 1: Kruse’s staff was manually entering P2G and 5-year gift capacity scores into their Raiser’s Edge fundraising database. This can be an arduous task. Instead, WealthEngine’s client service manager showed ECHN’s staff how to quickly and easily export WealthEngine data into Excel and then import it straight into ECHN’s Raiser’s Edge database. The process saves time and ensures data accuracy—problem solved.
Challenge 2: Designated development officers could not be noted in WealthEngine’s FindWealth Online results. However, WealthEngine’s client service team showed Kruse’s staff how to create individual folders in FindWealth Online, highlighting each DO’s prospects and giving them a streamlined method to approach their development process—problem solved.
Finally, even with 100% of ECHN development staff in support of WealthEngine, Kruse recognized the value of ongoing product training and professional development for her staff. Soon, staff will be participating in two 3-hour custom training sessions, presented by WealthEngine’s expert trainers.
The Bottom Line: WealthEngine Professionalizes Philanthropy
Kruse concludes, “WealthEngine empowers us. When working with our board members and volunteers, they now recognize the business side of philanthropy. WealthEngine’s detailed and accurate statistical data professionalizes ECHN and validates our work. Now, when building a relationship with a donor, we are able to put in place a ‘business plan,’ combining both peer review and statistical data. Ultimately, WealthEngine is a tool that helps us find that ‘sweet spot’ when approaching a donor.”
For more information email us at marketing@wealthengine.com
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