Challenge

A major Phoenix-based non-profit organization was investing heavily in marketing campaigns but lacked visibility into true performance and ROI. Leadership struggled with questions like:

• Which campaigns were driving measurable donations and engagement?
• How did their efforts compare to similar 501(c) organizations?
• What was the impact of marketing spend on the group’s standing and ratings with donors, grantmakers, and evaluators?

Without data-driven answers, the organization risked overspending in ineffective areas, under-investing in high-impact channels, and missing opportunities to strengthen its reputation and transparency.

Approach

DeSoto partnered with the non-profit to build a clear, technology-driven picture of its marketing performance. The engagement included:

• Data Integration: Pulled together marketing, donation, and engagement data across systems into a unified view.
• Benchmarking: Compared campaign effectiveness and ROI against other 501(c) organizations of similar size and mission.
• Performance Dashboards: Created executive dashboards showing campaign costs, returns, and engagement metrics in real time.
• Strategic Insights: Identified which marketing channels drove the most donor activity and where to reallocate spend.
• Ratings Impact: Evaluated how improved transparency and ROI measurement could positively influence the organization’s standing with watchdogs and funders.

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Results

• The initiative gave leadership a new level of confidence and stewardship:
  • Clarity on ROI: Marketing efforts are now tracked with precision, showing exactly where funds deliver the most impact.
  • Better Benchmarking: Leadership can see how their results compare with peer non-profits and adjust accordingly.
  • Improved Ratings: By documenting transparency and accountability, the organization strengthened its reputation with rating agencies and donors.
  • Strategic Reallocation: Funds shifted from low-impact campaigns to high-yield efforts, increasing overall effectiveness.
  • Mission Focus: With better insights, leadership can maximize outreach while demonstrating responsible stewardship of donor contributions.