When Cathedral Preparatory School introduced Boost My School for its 2025 Legacy Gala, donors of all ages found the online auction experience easy to navigate. This adoption resulted in a 37% increase in total funds raised over the previous year, leading Prep to conclude that "Boost was a perfect fit."
Cathedral Preparatory School is a co-ed, college preparatory day school that serves students in grades 9-12 in Pennsylvania. With an enrollment of 450 students and a development team of four, Prep is a leading independent Catholic institution in the Northeast.
The Challenge: Bringing Multiple Generations Online
Cathedral Preparatory School needed an auction platform that would make sense for all of their donors. While some attendees were comfortable with online tools, others were used to filling out paper forms at past events. This presented a unique challenge for the development team.
Jimmy Smith, AVP of Development, recalls the team's initial concerns: "We have constituents in their eighties all the way down to their twenties, so we wanted to ensure nobody felt confused or left behind."
The stakes were high. The Legacy Gala is Prep's signature fundraising event, drawing 500 in-person attendees and raising critical funds for the school. Despite the potential challenges of this shift, Prep decided to move ahead with Boost My School for their auction.
"I wanted to make sure the platform was straightforward so we would not get any complaints about going online," Smith says. The team knew that if even a handful of longtime supporters struggled with the technology, it could dampen enthusiasm and hurt fundraising results.
A Seamless Transition
The results exceeded expectations. "We never heard a single negative comment, which was a big positive," Smith notes. This ease of use proved essential for maintaining bidder engagement and preserving the sense of community around the gala.
Constituents navigated registration, bidding, and checkout without reporting any technical obstacles. In fact, 55% of RSVPs came through mobile devices, demonstrating how comfortable donors were with the new platform across all devices.
By focusing on an intuitive interface and reliable customer support, Boost My School allowed event organizers to concentrate on their fundraising goals instead of troubleshooting technical issues. "Throughout the whole process, everyone was comfortable with Boost," Smith says. "It made a huge difference for us."
The hands-on support from the Boost team also played a crucial role. "The Boost team was so hands on with us throughout the process. Any small request we had, the team was always prompt to address it. We felt like we were in great hands and were never left on our own."
The Results: Record-Breaking Success
Cathedral Preparatory School successfully guided a diverse group of donors through an entirely new auction process, and the numbers speak for themselves.
The event raised $435,000, up from $317,000 the year before. That's a 37% increase in a single year, simply by improving the donor experience through better technology.
The seamless experience also strengthened Prep's trust in the platform and validated their decision to move away from paper-based methods. By prioritizing donor comfort and streamlining tasks for staff, Cathedral Prep emerged with both higher revenues and a clear sense of confidence in the system.
"Boost was perfect for our community," Smith reflects. "Throughout the whole process everyone was comfortable with the product and we didn't hear a single complaint the whole night."
Key Takeaways for Your School
Cathedral Prep's success offers valuable lessons for other schools considering a transition to online auction platforms:
- Prioritize ease of use across all age groups. Choose a platform that works intuitively for both tech-savvy millennials and donors who prefer traditional methods.
- Don't let age demographics hold you back. With the right platform, even donors in their eighties can successfully navigate online bidding.
- Hands-on support matters. Having a responsive team to address questions quickly can make the difference between a smooth event and a stressful one.
- Mobile optimization is essential. With 55% of RSVPs coming through mobile devices, your platform needs to work seamlessly on phones and tablets.
The transition from paper to digital doesn't have to be difficult. With thoughtful planning and the right technology partner, you can create a better experience for donors while dramatically increasing your fundraising results.