"GiveSmart is really intuitive. I taught a brand-new employee how to add auction items in about 10 minutes. It's seamless, and the reporting side is really easy."
Key Features
Auctions
Donations
Instant Buys
Raffles
6x
revenue growth
11 years+
using and growing with GiveSmart
Provident STL has been delivering mental and behavioral health services to its community since 1860. When they launched their annual gala over a decade ago, managing the event meant paper bid sheets, handwritten numbers, and hours of manual reconciliation at the end of the night. Looking for something better, they connected with GiveSmart and made the switch after that first year, and stayed with GiveSmart ever since. Â
Challenge & Solution
As Provident’s gala grew, eventually incorporating donors and attendees from two partner organizations, so did the complexity of running it. The team needed a platform that could scale alongside the event without straining a small advancement staff. They also were looking for something intuitive enough for new team members to learn quickly, without extensive training or a dedicated technical expert.Â
GiveSmart delivered on both counts. A trusted GiveSmart on-site partner has returned year after year to staff the event on-site, giving the Provident team a reliable partner they can count on. The platform’s ease of use meant that when a brand-new fundraising employee joined the team, she could confidently add auction items after a short walkthrough.Â
Results
Since making the switch to GiveSmart, Provident’s gala has grown from roughly 340 attendees and $265,000 raised in their first year to about 500 guests and over $691,000 raised at their most recent event. With GiveSmart, they held silent and live auctions, a paddle raise, wine pull, and raffle, giving the team real-time visibility and a checkout process that practically runs itself.Â
Donor comfort with mobile bidding has grown steadily over the years, to the point where the team no longer needs to think about it the night of the event. Provident’s staff can now focus on what matters most: stewarding donors and building the relationships that keep the gala growing year after year.