Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia Reduces Costs and Increases Revenue Year Over Year Using Pledge It

About the Charity

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Human Services

Mission

DSANV is dedicated to empowering individuals with Down syndrome and their families by providing essential resources, support, programs, and events that foster inclusion, enhance well-being, and promote meaningful participation in the community.

Favorite Features

Flexible event types, intuitive dashboards to track registrations and fundraising goals in real time, and option for donors to cover transaction fees at checkout.

Fundraising Wins

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Cut event expenses by 15% year over year, saving thousands in operational costs.

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Increased event income by nearly 9%, fueling more programs and services for families.

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Combined ticketing, auctions, sponsorships, and peer-to-peer fundraising into one streamlined platform.

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Launched new event formats alongside its signature Buddy Walk.

Complex Systems, High Costs, and Gaps Customer Support

For the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia (DSANV), events are central to its mission, bringing families and individuals with Down Syndrome together, building connections, and funding programs across Northern Virginia. These community gatherings generate more than 60% of its annual revenue, making them essential to providing real, inclusive support for families.

But before Pledge It, managing events was a real challenge. The team relied on too many disconnected systems for ticketing, auctions, sponsorships, and donor management. That meant scattered data, paying for multiple overlapping tools, duplicating work across platforms, and spending hours on frustrating admin tasks that drained staff time and energy.

“When I started, I went, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t balance this many platforms. I need to find out what else is out there.’” — Heather Padgett Executive Director, Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia

Customer support was another major pain point. Slow replies and general help articles weren’t enough when DSANV needed real answers. With a small team and big goals, it wanted something better: one platform to handle everything from small get-togethers to their biggest fundraiser, all while giving them back valuable time to focus on their mission.

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A Dependable Partner for Every Type of Event

DSANV chose Pledge It for more than its comprehensive event tools. The team was looking for a real partner. From the first demo, it saw how Pledge It could consolidate registrations, peer-to-peer fundraising, sponsorship sales, auctions, and more in one easy-to-use platform.

“As soon as I [had that first meeting], it kind of sold us. I was looking for a real person, I was looking for somebody on the other end who was actually going to help me and not just sell me.” — Heather Padgett Executive Director, Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia

Along with handling registrations and fundraising, Pledge It’s Shop feature opened up a whole new way for DSANV to raise money and connect with supporters. The team could sell Buddy Walk t-shirts and other branded merch right on the event page. This added bonus ended up making a big difference: not only did it bring in more revenue, but supporters could add on a Shop item while signing up or donating, which naturally increased average gift size.

Implementation was fast and hands-on. Pledge It’s customer success team walked DSANV through setup, helped it quickly launch urgent campaigns—including standing up its year-end online auction in record time—and offered practical workarounds tailored to its needs.

“They had that site up for me immediately. Any question I had, they were there for. It’s almost like they’re part of your team.” — Heather Padgett Executive Director, Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia

With that partnership in place, DSANV was able to launch a wide variety of events:

• Its first-ever in-person World Down Syndrome Day event, bringing in hundreds of participants
• In-person events with easy-to-run raffles and live drawing features
• Auctions that exceeded its fundraising goals
• Peer-to-peer bike rides and virtual fitness challenges
• Its biggest annual fundraiser, Buddy Walk, with organized sponsorships, ticket sales, exhibitor tables, and merchandise sales

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Hands-On Help to Unlock Greater Fundraising Potential

With Pledge It, DSANV moved from fragmented systems to one intuitive platform that saves staff time and reduces manual headaches, while opening the door to new ideas and creative fundraising. By consolidating tools, DSANV cut event expenses by 15% year over year while growing event revenue by nearly 9%, freeing up more dollars to support families.

“[Pledge It] has helped us bring in [thousands] more dollars that we never would have thought to do because of the campaign styles you allow for that we would not have had elsewhere.” — Heather Padgett Executive Director, Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia

Customer support has been a standout benefit: DSANV describes the Pledge It team as responsive, human, and willing to go the extra mile to help the organization succeed. Whether it was setting up a new raffle at the last minute or troubleshooting a sponsorship package glitch, the Pledge It team delivered real solutions fast.

“Take advantage of the amazing customer service. If you have questions, truly do ask. You’re not going to be left hanging, and they will walk you through it every step of the way to make sure that you find success.” — Heather Padgett Executive Director, Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia

Pledge It also made processing fees more manageable, giving DSANV the option to let donors cover transaction costs at checkout—a small change that added up to real savings and ensured more of each gift directly supported its mission.

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By making the tech easier and acting like a real partner, Pledge It helped DSANV try new ideas, keep supporters engaged, and make every dollar go further for families across Northern Virginia.