Kenosha YMCA begins transforming digital fundraising with Bonterra Network for Good

Overview

The challenge

Overcoming manual data limitations

The Kenosha YMCA struggled with a fragmented, manual donor management system that obscured critical insights and slowed down daily operations.

When Chris Finkel arrived at the organization seven years ago, the team was tracking donors through a mix of Excel spreadsheets and paper files. This reliance on static documents made it difficult to track donors effectively or retrieve relevant information in a timely manner. Instead of analyzing data to drive decisions, the team was forced to navigate a cumbersome workflow that lacked a central source of truth.

Chris immediately recognized the organization’s need for new donor software to resolve these issues.
“We needed to be more organized and have all of our donor information at our fingertips,” said Chris, the Development Director at the Kenosha YMCA. “I didn’t want us to have to worry about going through three file cabinets and even more boxes upstairs of old donor history paperwork.”

To move forward, the customer needed a modern fundraising solution that would ensure the team’s outreach efforts were targeting active and engaged community members.

The solution

Implementing a streamlined fundraising solution

Chris recognized that to overcome the organization’s data management challenges, the Kenosha YMCA needed to move away from spreadsheets and paper files. He began researching vendors in the fundraising space that could provide a centralized, digital solution to their workflow issues.

Chris and the team ultimately selected Bonterra Network for Good, a simple, all-in-one platform for their fundraising and donor management needs.

The switch saw all of the Kenosha YMCA’s donor history consolidated in a single system. Event management was completely transformed, sending targeted messages to donors was simplified, and sourcing documentation for print became effortless.

Chris turned to Network for Good to manage ticketing, table organization, RSVP tracking, sponsorships, and post-event follow-up segmentation for the organization’s annual luncheon. He leveraged the platform a second time for its 38th annual golf outing. During the latter event, the platform’s auction feature proved to be extremely beneficial to the team. Chris hosted an online auction on Network for Good, the first in the organization’s history. He was able to add more items to the auction and used the event page to feature sponsors, which helped secure additional funding.

Network for Good’s straightforward user interface enabled the Kenosha YMCA to expand from its typical two annual auctions to include smaller ones throughout the year. This created new engagement opportunities for both in-person attendees and remote supporters.

The Kenosha YMCA completely overhauled its donor communications across both email and direct mail campaigns. The flexibility to use both channels is critical, as certain audience segments respond better to direct mail, while newer donors often prefer digital outreach. Generating thank-you emails and letters became a quick task, improving donor stewardship. The platform also allows them to link videos to donation pages, adding another layer to their communication strategy.

“If someone gives to us online, I like to send them an email back immediately. We’re meeting donors where they are, and we can do it instantly. It’s awesome,” said Chris.

Network for Good was also instrumental in streamlining several key operational processes, such as compiling data for the organization’s annual report. Once a significant struggle, Network for Good transformed sourcing donor, sponsor, and grant funder information into a smooth process. The platform also provided robust support for peer-to-peer fundraising, which Chris leveraged for the organization’s annual campaigns and various sporting events throughout the year.

Outcomes

The shift to a digital-first strategy has yielded impressive financial results. The organization achieved a 60% donor retention rate year-over-year and raised $212,000 through its annual campaign in 2025. By enabling online participation in its annual golf outing auction through Network for Good, Chris and his team increased auction sales by $20,000.

Having a comprehensive digital platform to easily ticket events, manage donations, and send emails with supporting templates has saved the Kenosha YMCA staff a substantial amount of time. Chris has been able to refocus that time on membership-related projects, such as developing engagement programs to increase volunteerism in the community and enhancing the organization’s social media presence.

These efficiencies directly support the YMCA’s critical work, with donations funding several programs that are offered to members of the community at no charge. Examples include the Achievers After School program and the Safety Around Water swimming program. The results of the increased donations are striking, particularly in the case of the former program.

The Achievers After School Program is active in four schools in Kenosha. At those schools, 90% of students have access to free or reduced lunch. While only 34% of students in the City of Kenosha read at grade level, 100% of students in the Achievers program (up to third grade) are reading at their respective grade levels.

Funds are also allocated to the organization’s food distribution program, which serves meals to 30 families every Thursday.

Looking ahead, Chris is excited to continue optimizing their operations through Network for Good’s capabilities. He is particularly excited by the prospect of using the platform’s volunteer tracking features in the new year.

“It’s awesome that the Kenosha YMCA has been here for 95 years, and that people come here not only for health and wellness, but also to be part of the community and be with one another. Not many fitness centers offer scholarships to families who can’t afford memberships, but we are able to do so to encourage community members to lead healthy lives,” said Chris.

“Network for Good has been a great platform for us. It’s easy to use, and I’ve even been able to train some of my part-time staff members on it. I am able to grant them varying levels of access based on their needs, and that has been really helpful for me.”