Engagement at a Glance Snapshot
People Loving Nashville came to us with a strong mission, a growing donor base, and a coffee shop that was doing more for the ministry than anyone realized. Through a strategic fundraising plan, we helped them tell the story hiding in plain sight, tighten the systems running behind the scenes, and find growth within reach.
A few of the outcomes:
- A clear message built around their ministry model, where programs, donors, and the coffee shop each play a part
- A donor story that shows how every gift goes further because of their social venture
- A lapsed donor reactivation playbook, with donors coming back within days of launch
- Key CRM automations restored so the tools they invested in work as intended
- A board-level dashboard showing five years of donor health for the first time
- A first direct mail plan with built-in cost controls
- New opportunities to grow the coffee shop’s reach, which in turn grows the ministry
The Challenge
People Loving Nashville wasn’t short on heart, impact, or support. Their donor relationships were growing, their programs were serving people well, and their coffee shop had become a gathering place in the community.
But like many growing ministries, they needed clarity and a plan on where to focus their energy heading into the next season. When we first met over lunch in East Nashville, they were working through some big questions. Did they need a consultant? A coach? A new website? What would make the biggest difference?
As we dug in, it became clear that their most powerful message was hiding in plain sight.
People Loving Nashville runs on a unique model. Donors fund the mission, the coffee shop helps carry part of the financial load, and it also brings donors, community members, and the people they serve together. That means every donor dollar goes further. It’s a compelling story, but it wasn’t being told in a way donors could see.
There was untapped potential on the coffee shop side too. Thousands of customers had joined the shop’s rewards program, but many weren’t receiving regular updates and offers to invite them deeper into the mission.
Then, while their donor base was growing, a number of past donors had drifted away without a path back in.
So the challenge wasn’t building something from scratch. It was about connecting the pieces they already had. How do we tell the story of this ministry model clearly? Where is growth waiting? And what should we build first?
The Solution
Our work with People Loving Nashville began with a strategic fundraising plan designed to meet the organization where it was and focus on what would make the biggest difference.
Our approach includes a library of actionable fundraising playbooks.
Messaging came first. We put their ministry model into words donors could easily understand. People Loving Nashville serves the community, donors come alongside that work, and the coffee shop helps carry part of the financial load. As a result, every gift goes further.
Next, we built a lapsed donor reactivation playbook. Using the new messaging, we created a path to invite past donors back into the mission. The playbook includes:
- A way to find and segment lapsed donors based on their giving history
- Personalized outreach that reconnects them to the impact of their past support
- A simple re-engagement sequence with a clear next step
- A plan to welcome returning donors back and keep them connected
We also audited their fundraising systems. Their CRM, the core of their fundraising, had room for three key automations, but two weren’t running because of a broken entry point. This is common in organizations that are growing fast or going through staff changes. Automations that get set up once and run in the background need regular check-ups. Once we flagged the issue, they could fix it and get more out of a tool they’d invested in.
We helped them build a dashboard and report that shows donor health over five years, including KPIs they hadn’t been able to see before.
We helped them launch direct mail. We built their first strategic direct mail plan, with cost-control rules built in, so they could reach the right people without spending more than necessary.
Finally, we looked at the coffee shop as a growth engine. Bringing rewards members into their marketing opens new ways to engage the community, as growing the coffee shop grows the ministry.
In many ways, this engagement gave People Loving Nashville both a clearer story and a practical roadmap. They now have the message and systems to grow with confidence.
The Results
People Loving Nashville needed a better way to tell their story and a practical plan to grow from what they had.
The impact showed up fast. Within days of launching the lapsed donor reactivation playbook, past donors were giving again.
Some of the wins:
- Lapsed donors reactivating within days of launch
- A confident message that shows donors how their gifts go further
- Key CRM automations back to working the way they should
- A five-year view of donor health, shared at the board level for the first time
- A first direct mail program that’s better targeted and more cost-conscious
- New opportunities to engage coffee shop customers in the mission
- A roadmap of fundraising playbooks to build as the organization grows
- Time to focus in a busy season on their fundraising gala, The Purpose Gathering, that raised a record $354k+ in one night.
Most importantly, People Loving Nashville can now communicate what makes their ministry unique: a model where programs, donors, and the coffee shop work together to love their city well.
Fun Addition
This doesn’t always happen, but I happened to be in Nashville the night of their annual fundraiser so the culmination of our initial work together included being able to see their message and work come to life in person through a record-breaking evening that raised more than $354,000!
Quick Tip
Every few months, check the automations you set up once and haven’t looked at since.
Welcome emails, donation receipts, and follow-up sequences run in the background, so they can break without anyone noticing. Staff changes, new programs, and rapid growth often cause it.
Here’s a check to start with:
Make a small test gift or sign up as a new contact, then watch what happens. Did you get a thank-you? Did the welcome series start? Did you land in the right list?
If something’s missing, you’ve found one of the easiest fundraising wins available, using tools you already have.
Meet Our Client: People Loving Nashville
People Loving Nashville is a homeless outreach ministry helping Nashville residents turn compassion into action. Too many people notice the city’s homeless population but aren’t sure how to help. People Loving Nashville channels that generosity into immediate relief and long-term restoration for their homeless friends and neighbors.
That restoration continues at Paradeisos Coffee Company. Every purchase helps provide jobs and ongoing support for people who have moved into temporary or permanent housing. It’s one cup of coffee, and one changed life, at a time.
Let’s Talk
Your strongest fundraising story might be hiding in plain sight. When your message is clear and your systems are working, it’s easier for donors to see the impact of their generosity and stay connected to your mission.
Ready to find what’s within reach? Let’s talk.
