Why Modern Zoos and Aquariums Need a 360-Degree View
Earlier this month, the Arkus team was at the AZA conference in Tampa, and (aside from having a blast at the Florida Aquarium tour and a day at Busch Gardens), we had countless conversations about the data challenges today's zoos and aquariums face. We’ve handled dozens of projects with zoos, aquariums, and other organizations at the intersection of arts and culture and animal welfare, and we were excited to be among clients and our community at this interesting conference. These organizations are handling critical work from animal care to conservation, public education, and youth programming, but they struggle to make data-driven decisions because of siloed systems. Ticketing platforms don’t connect with member management systems, and fundraising is often tracked in spreadsheets or point solutions. So when it comes time to apply for a grant or create an impact report for leadership, they’re left scrambling with multiple systems that don’t speak to each other to try to illustrate the essential nature of their work.
This is a major challenge for nonprofits across the board, but it is particularly pressing for zoos and aquariums that operate at the crossroads of public education, entertainment, and global conservation. This complex mission is increasingly challenged by a rapidly evolving operational environment. A single, unified platform is no longer a luxury but a strategic necessity for survival and long-term sustainability.
How do we get from spreadsheets to strategy? A reliable customer relationship management (CRM) platform like Salesforce should serve as the "central nervous system" for these organizations. Salesforce offers a comprehensive solution to overcome the limitations of disconnected systems by integrating individual data streams, from fundraising and membership stats to ticketing and on-site purchase amounts, into a complete view of every constituent. Centralizing this information doesn’t just streamline daily operations; it empowers your team to build lasting relationships with your community through personalized engagement, data-driven decisions, and a better understanding of what your constituents want. When you work with a single integrated platform, you can move beyond one-off and finite transactions to build a community of connected, committed supporters who are actively invested in your mission.
The Problem: Data Silos and Operational Inefficiency
“As the CFO, I don’t have a 360-degree view of all our revenue streams in one place. It makes board meetings a nightmare to prepare for.”
“I don’t have access to program data when my donors ask what our impact has been this year, and it takes weeks to pull reports and make sense of them.”
“We just can’t get everything to talk to each other!”
Does this sound familiar? You’re not alone. Data fragmentation is a pervasive issue for many organizations, and it’s so common because it happens gradually over time. Your organization’s needs grow and evolve naturally, leading teams to sign up for and stack different solutions to address immediate priorities. However, after years of this approach, organizations often find themselves with a complex web of systems that don't accurately communicate, creating a significant operational burden to manage. For example, a point-of-sale (POS) ticketing system may not be designed to function as a robust CRM that tracks the full picture of your fundraising efforts, forcing your team to track important information like grant details manually in spreadsheets. For a team with a lean budget, the manual effort required to collect, consolidate, and analyze data from disparate sources can waste a tremendous amount of valuable time.
The consequence of fragmentation in your data goes way beyond simple inconvenience; it drains resources that could otherwise fuel your mission. Manual reporting uses up staff time and delays insights. By creating and utilizing a data strategy to centralize data from multiple sources into a single dashboard, your team can save dozens of hours each month. This is a measurable return on investment, freeing up staff to focus on more strategic activities.
Let’s take this one step further. Once your operational data is centralized in one place, you can go further by segmenting engagement data to create personalized marketing campaigns and gain deeper insights into how your community members interact with the resources you share.
With a unified system, you’re able to see the subtle behavioral patterns that reveal opportunities for increased engagement and financial support.
The Solution: A Unified Platform for Mission-Driven Growth
With the right implementation strategy, Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud provides a robust set of tools that directly address the multifaceted challenges faced by zoos and aquariums. It centralizes all data, including donors, members, volunteers, and beneficiaries, into a single, accessible location. This is the cornerstone of the platform's value, because it means that your team can instantly access a holistic view of each constituent, complete with contact information, their giving history, interests, event attendance, volunteer hours, household relationships, and professional affiliations. Plus, with the ability to segment digital campaigns, a zoo or aquarium can send highly targeted appeals that resonate with specific donor or visitor interests and behaviors.
Picture a future where you open one browser window and see all the numbers you need in the same place. A CRM also makes it possible to automate key processes like membership renewal notifications and payments, freeing up staff time from tedious membership drives and supporting proven retention strategies. Plus, once you integrate Salesforce with on-site systems like a merchandise point of sale solution, you can capture data from every touchpoint you have with your supporters, enabling you to analyze spending habits and how they intersect with other ways to engage folks for increased impact.
See This Strategy in Action
While there are unique technology considerations for organizations that care for animals, these teams also face challenges that are shared by many mission-driven teams across causes. This work can include collaborative efforts in all kinds of areas, from implementing platforms to designing data strategy to overseeing integrations with third-party tools.
Last year, we joined our client Zoo Miami Foundation (ZMF) for an exciting community event with Salesforce at Zoo Miami in Florida. ZMF offers Learning Experience programs, supports vital conservation efforts, and funds essential capital projects that enhance animal welfare and visitor experiences at Zoo Miami. With one of the largest membership bases in South Florida, ZMF continues to make a significant impact, educating and inspiring the community to take action in conservation efforts. Learn more about their work on their website.
During our event together, we heard how the ZMF team and other nonprofits manage everything from ticket sales to membership engagement using connected technology rooted in the Salesforce ecosystem. Working with a cohesive strategy when it comes to complex data makes it possible to take meaningful actions across their entire organization.
Having an Impact Beyond Software
For a nonprofit zoo or aquarium, implementing Salesforce goes beyond software. It is a strategic investment in the long-term health and sustainability of the organization. The value is rooted in its ability to centralize operations, empower staff with actionable data, and build genuine, lasting relationships with supporters.
To achieve maximum value from this investment, it is crucial to work with a Salesforce implementation partner who specializes in the nonprofit sector and has experience with complex migrations. A partner can help an organization create a strategic roadmap and ensure a smooth transition from legacy systems by managing the discovery, design, and data migration phases of the project. With an emphasis on education and empowerment, a partner you trust can also provide the necessary training to ensure your team becomes proficient in the new system.
Our team of Arkus experts is trained in a unique lean and agile methodology that we have honed through our work with more than 800 clients, and our expertise allows your organization to achieve minimum risk and maximum return, ultimately helping you deliver successfully on your mission. In September of this year, we celebrated our 15th company anniversary and our 2,900th project completed. We’ve worked with more than 800 clients, among them many of the leading nonprofits in America, including zoos, aquariums, and other organizations at the intersection of arts and culture and animal welfare. We’d be thrilled to support your team as you embark on your digital transformation. Our community can learn more about us on the Salesforce AppExchange.
Want to explore how you can streamline your data and get a holistic view of all your constituents? Connect with Arkus through our contact form, or connect with me, Sarah (McLellan) Bucelli, on LinkedIn.
