A high‑impact social service organization serving over 21,000 youth and families
UCAN Chicago is a long‑standing social service organization focused on empowering youth and families across the Chicago area. Managing services for a community of more than 21,000 youth and families requires a thoughtful, tactful approach to engagement — especially during times of rapid change.
As Associate Vice President of Development, Tamara Reed‑Taan helps lead UCAN’s donor strategy and fundraising efforts. With a mission‑driven focus on social good, UCAN needed communication tools that could keep up with their ambition and their community’s needs.
Integrating Textmunication with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT
UCAN has been a long‑term user of Blackbaud’s social good CRM, Raiser’s Edge NXT, using it as the central system of record for donor information. When the opportunity arose to extend Raiser’s Edge NXT with integrated SMS, Tamara and her team turned to Textmunication’s SAM (Smart Automated Messaging) platform in Blackbaud’s app marketplace.
By combining Raiser’s Edge NXT and Textmunication, UCAN can launch targeted SMS campaigns directly from their donor data, track engagement, and align mobile outreach with their broader fundraising strategy. The result is a unified, integrated engagement engine that supports both everyday communication and large‑scale campaigns.
Shifting from in‑person to virtual fundraising during the pandemic
When COVID‑19 disrupted in‑person events, UCAN had to quickly transition their annual fundraising event to a more virtual format — without losing momentum toward an ambitious $21 million annual fundraising benchmark.
SMS became a critical channel to reach supporters with real‑time updates, event information, and stories about award recipients. According to Tamara, “The cost was right, the ability to interact was what we were looking for and it helped to increase our ability to reach out to people with information about the event and about the award recipients.”
With Textmunication, UCAN was able to replicate the personal touch of in‑person engagement through timely, direct mobile outreach — helping them maintain attendance and engagement in a fully virtual environment.
SMS as a donor stewardship tool, not just a fundraising channel
Tamara notes that in fundraising, it’s common wisdom that donors should be thanked 7–10 times for a gift — but in different, meaningful ways.
“The texting piece works in some regard on that level,” she explains. SMS gives UCAN a way to stay in contact with donors without always asking for money, whether it’s a quick thank‑you, an update on program impact, or an invitation to a virtual event.
For UCAN, the relationship with donors is about more than a single transaction. Textmunication allows the team to nurture those relationships with on‑demand, conversational touchpoints that fit naturally into a donor’s day.
Raising $45,000 in scholarship awards in just two weeks
UCAN’s leadership awards program provides 7 scholarships totaling $45,000 to youth each year — a tangible expression of their commitment to empowerment and opportunity.
By using Textmunication‑powered SMS to promote the awards and connect with supporters, UCAN raised $45,000 in just two weeks to fully fund those scholarships, while also contributing to their broader $21 million annual fundraising goal.
The campaign demonstrated how a focused SMS strategy can mobilize donors quickly, highlight high‑impact initiatives, and translate virtual engagement into real‑world outcomes for youth and families.
Building a sustainable, mobile‑first communication strategy
Beyond one‑off campaigns, UCAN is expanding its mobile strategy by including clear awareness on their website to opt in to their text club. This helps them continually grow a compliant, engaged SMS audience for future campaigns.
With Textmunication and Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT working together, UCAN can maintain an ongoing dialogue with donors, celebrate impact, and adapt to whatever comes next — all while staying focused on their core mission of serving youth and families.