BlueLena has achieved a significant milestone as 20 of the nation’s most respected independent local news publishers have adopted its all-in-one Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and moves management system, marking a pivotal moment in the company’s mission to support sustainable, community-centered journalism.
This milestone reflects the growing demand among local newsrooms for smarter systems to drive fundraising, manage donor relationships, and build long-term resilience. The rapid expansion of BlueLena’s CRM platform is fueled in part by our work with several grantees of the American Journalism Project, and our partnership which has helped accelerate adoption across the nonprofit journalism ecosystem.
“BlueLena’s CRM and moves management system isn’t just a tool – it’s a strategic engine for growth,” said Ned Berke, Chief Strategy Officer at BlueLena. “We’re equipping newsrooms with strategy consulting, technology and the critical hands-on support they need to convert loyal readers into sustaining supporters and build stronger donor pipelines.”
A Tailored Solution for Journalism
Unlike off-the-shelf CRMs designed for broad nonprofit or commercial use, BlueLena’s system is purpose-built for local news organizations. The platform combines robust email marketing tools (ESP) and CRM functionality through ActiveCampaign™, enhanced with proprietary features and workflows designed specifically for newsrooms.
At its core is BlueDepth™, BlueLena’s proprietary engagement scoring system as coined by Megan Wofford, BlueLena’s Director of Products and the architect of the system. Rather than relying solely on wealth indicators, BlueDepth evaluates a contact’s likelihood to give based on real-time engagement behavior, loyalty, donation history, and demographic signals – all starting with just an email address. These scores update automatically and are customized to each newsroom’s unique audience.
Of the project Wofford added, “this has been a truly collaborative effort – the culmination of nearly two years of development and involving publishers throughout the process to build a solution that addresses the needs of the publishing community. We are thrilled to see its adoption and the growth it is now driving for journalism support.”
Once a donor reaches a certain score threshold, the platform automatically places them into structured fundraising pipelines, triggering a pre-built moves management curriculum. This automation helps lean development teams prioritize promising leads, saving time while enhancing personalization and effectiveness – especially with mid-tier donors often overlooked by traditional systems.
Proven Impact
Early results from BlueLena’s CRM partners are promising:
- 30% increase in individual giving year-over-year
- 17-24% rise in average donation amounts
- 25% growth in mid-tier and major donor pipelines
In one cohort, publishers reported a 24% increase in mid-level and major donors, demonstrating the platform’s value in cultivating meaningful relationships at every stage of the donor journey.
Dedicated Support and Scalability
BlueLena’s CRM product is now offered through its Premium service tier and includes:
- A custom 12-week onboarding experience led by Director of Product Megan Wofford and our implementation team
- Ongoing partnership with a dedicated Publisher Success Manager
- 40 hours of annual strategic support
- Free enrollment in BlueLena Academy (sponsored by Google News Initiative)
- Ongoing access to expert workshops on campaign planning, donor journeys, and operational best practices
BlueLena also offers flexible, concierge-level onboarding from legacy systems (like Salesforce, Bloomerang, Little Green Light, or spreadsheets) and integrates seamlessly with Slack and direct mail platforms to enhance cross-team collaboration and donor communication.
Trusted by 20 Leading Publishers
BlueLena’s growing network includes a diverse range of nonprofit and mission-driven for-profit newsrooms, such as:
These publishers are united by a shared goal: to strengthen their development capacity and secure the future of independent journalism.
Looking Ahead
As the landscape of local journalism continues to evolve, BlueLena remains committed to helping newsrooms scale their fundraising strategies, enhance operational efficiency, and stay focused on what matters most—serving their communities.
About BlueLena
BlueLena is a strategy consulting and audience management platform founded in 2020 to support the sustainability of independent local media. By combining cutting-edge technology with expert-driven services, BlueLena helps over 250 news organizations across North America develop and manage subscription, membership, and donation models. Its unique shared-resource management approach provides publishers, regardless of size, with access to enterprise-level tools and personalized support, enabling them to focus on high-quality journalism while building loyal, revenue-generating audiences.
BlueLena is majority employee-owned, and backed by investors including Automattic (the parent company of WordPress), Local Media Association, and Old Town Media.