Change the World with Your Data

ROI Solutions

Vermont Public Merges Duplicate Programs and Systems with ROI Solutions

ROI Solutions | Vermont Public Merges Duplicate Programs and Systems with ROI Solutions

Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS came together in 2021, becoming Vermont Public to serve the greater Vermont community better. They are the state’s unified source for NPR and PBS programming and local, award-winning news, education, events, music, arts, and entertainment to foster dialogue and connection between people.

The merger brought the need to combine multiple technology solutions and business processes to support unified membership and development operations and provide a seamless experience to its members and community.

Two Organizations with Overlapping Systems

For years, Vermont Public Radio managed its members and constituents using Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge, while separately, Vermont PBS used Salesforce. The two organizations also used other overlapping point solutions and service providers. Each organization had its own membership program model, business processes, vendor relationships, and financial systems that required consolidation and change management to make their combination successful. By pulling it together, Vermont Public could streamline operations, increase efficiency, save costs, and better serve its members and supporters.

“We launched our discovery and selection process with a goal to choose tools that would allow us to take our fundraising efforts and donor stewardship plans to the next level and help us better understand and engage with our audience in an impactful way,“ said Brynn Carris, Director of Membership and Development Operations. “ROI Solutions was our frontrunner from the very beginning.” 

Leveraging Best Practices to Redefine Programs and Processes

The merger was a unique opportunity for Vermont Public to completely redefine programs and processes from scratch to build stronger relationships with its constituents.  One of Vermont Public’s key priorities was to find tools that would help realize a full picture of its audiences, members, donors, and prospects.  “Starting with ROI’s Revolution CRM as our base and utilizing the many integration opportunities it offers, we’re excited that we can now use data to be strategic and meaningful in our engagement (and grow our supporter base along the way), “said Carris.

Consolidating multiple databases into ROI’s Revolution CRM accelerated the transition to a unified organization. “From a membership and development perspective, it definitely helped,” said Brendan Kinney, Senior Vice President of Development. “We were very fortunate that our internal teams meshed well but running our program out of two systems kept a line in the sand. Consolidating systems helped us take a huge step forward in managing relationships with our donors.”

In this implementation, the unique challenge was to set aside old models and processes to work together to define a new, optimized member experience. As Brynn Carris explained, “We had two teams, two CRMs, countless different procedures, and what seemed like a challenging road ahead. From day one, our ROI implementation team made us feel comfortable and confident. They thoughtfully guided us through the entire process offering guidance through suggested best practices and allowing us to forge our own path. They were thorough and kept us on track, and we launched even a few days ahead of our projected timeline!”

From discovery to go-live, the entire implementation process was accomplished within nine months.

“Our client partners continue to inspire the evolution of Revolution CRM, our services, and our company.  They regularly provide us with lightbulb moments.  Working with the Vermont Public team was a delight. We feel fortunate to have played a role in their evolution from two organizations to one,” said Gina VanderLoop, Founder and CEO of ROI Solutions.  

About Vermont Public

Vermont Public is Vermont’s unified public media source for programs from NPR and PBS and for locally produced, award-winning news, video, and music content. They also host community events, both virtual and in-person, throughout the broadcast region. Vermont Public seeks to create an expanding, open community for all Vermonters, broadening access and opportunity for all voices to participate from every corner of its unique state.

Learn more about Vermont Public: https://www.vermontpublic.org

About ROI Solutions

ROI Solutions is a technology company working exclusively with mid-to-large nonprofit organizations providing enterprise solutions that help organizations succeed in their missions. The ROI Solutions ecosystem, which includes Revolution CRM, is used by some of the largest nonprofit organizations in the country, helping clients increase revenue and participation and decreasing overall costs. 

Learn more about ROI Solutions: Why ROI Solutions

Get the latest ROI Solutions 
News & Insights