Cincinnati Song Initiative (CSI) has a powerful philosophy: to unite the greater Cincinnati area and beyond through classical song. The organization is led by a passionate group of musicians who work to strengthen the performance community. Their four main values—artistry, communication, collaboration, and innovation—are always at the forefront of their work.
CSI uses three main ‘branches’ to advance its mission. The Main Stage regularly features spectacular concerts; CSI Mobile brings musical performances to new communities nationwide; lastly, CSI Digital takes the nonprofits’ mission global, with its renowned virtual concerts and invaluable educational programming.
“Each concert features singers and pianists of national renown, providing an unparalleled level of artistry within an intimate and accessible atmosphere. Audiences enjoy close interaction with the artists, hearing them discuss the relevance of the music in relation to today’s cultural and societal context.” Samuel Martin, Founding Artistic Director
Background
Artistic Director Sam Martin founded the CSI to foster community and create a performance space for Classical Song performers. Since the beginning, Sam’s ultimate goal has always been to build a home for the classical song community— and to spread the joy of Classical Song in the greater Cincinnati area and beyond.
“I started Cincinnati Song Initiative to fill a need in the greater Cincinnati area to provide an intimate, community-based source for classical song. It’s a small but extremely potent and powerful genre, and we are heading into our tenth anniversary season starting September 2025.” Samuel Martin, Founding Artistic Director
CSI is truly a grassroots organization. In the early days, Sam relied on donations from a small but loyal group of supporters, keeping the nonprofit running - quite literally - from concert to concert. Thanks to the necessity of its mission, hard work, and early supporters, CSI started to gain traction.
The nonprofit is now proud to offer a thriving main stage, three podcasts, and digital educational programming. From hosting regular performances to commissioning new and innovative composers, CSI has become a shining light in the world of classical performance.
Challenges before switching to Zeffy
CSI began its fundraising journey using GiveLively. This worked well enough for collecting donations, but CSI soon discovered frustrating limitations. The platform was expensive and didn’t offer the depth of donor information CSI needed. Concerned about missing out on valuable donor insights, CSI began searching for a tool that offered more than just a spreadsheet export.
“It was nearly impossible to track donor data. There was no dynamic interaction available with donors/contacts” Samuel Martin, Founding Artistic Director
Inspired by CSI’s story? Learn more about why they made the switch from GiveLively to Zeffy.
The 100% free solution
It wasn’t long before an internet search led Sam and his team to Zeffy. From first impressions, it seemed Zeffy filled in the gaps in CSI’s fundraising strategy: The platform offers detailed donor insights, and it’s 100% free–meaning all CSI’s fundraising now goes towards advancing its mission, not on software fees. Curious to learn more, Sam and his team decided to schedule a free demo.
“After seeing a demo, we were convinced this tool would meet Cincinnati Song Initiative's needs while relieving the pain points we were experiencing with our old platform.” Samuel Martin, Cincinnati Song Initiative
During the demo, Sam was excited to see Zeffy offers more than just a way of accepting donations. Satisfied the platform could help them refine their fundraising strategy and save money, CSI quickly made the switch. They haven’t looked back.
Features used
Donations
Offer your website visitors an efficient and intuitive way to give to your cause.
Peer-to-peer campaigns
Make it easy for your community to participate in your fundraising efforts.
Ticketing
Sell more tickets for your next fundraising event with frictionless ticketing forms.
eCommerce
Diversify your fundraising by opening on online store for your nonprofit.
Raffles & Lotteries
Easily launch a raffle with our numbered ticketing options.
Auction
Diversify your fundraising by inviting your donors to bid on items.
Memberships
Make it easy for your supporters to register as a member to your cause.
Donor management
Diversify your fundraising by inviting your donEngage with the right donors at the right time with seamless donor management.ors to bid on items.
Results
With Zeffy, CSI has so far raised a remarkable $67,085. Even better, they’ve already saved upwards of $3,300 on fundraising fees. This is enough to cover the cost of airfare stipends for multiple renowned artists scheduled to perform at the CSI main stage every year.
CSI is thrilled to see every penny of its fundraising go directly to furthering its mission. With Zeffy helping them grow their nonprofit, CSI is excited to continue helping the classical song community thrive and reach new heights.
“Zeffy ensures every cent ends up in the organization's pocket. Combined with their phenomenal customer support and constant striving to bring new features to the platform, this makes for a trustworthy and reliable partner in Cincinnati Song Initiative's fundraising and donor relation efforts.” Samuel Martin, Founding Artistic Director
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