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Bound Success Stories: Fundraising

Cedar Rapids Jefferson Band Program Raised $10k in Several Days

“I think we said our initial goal was $6,000...we surpassed that in three days.”

Carl Rowles  | CR Jefferson Band Director

Leading a fundraising revival.

Carl Rowles, the band director at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School, revitalized his struggling music program through innovative fundraising strategies, with his most successful effort coming from Bound’s fundraising platform.

After years of budget constraints, Carl explored several creative fundraising options, but it was Bound’s donation-based model that brought in more than any previous campaign in school history - nearly $10,000.

Carl Rowles, Band Director at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, poses for portrait photograph.
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Carl Rowles

Cedar Rapids Jefferson Band Director

Carl loves Bound’s ease of use, its connection with their pre-existing systems for student registration and organizational management, and higher profit retention. The platform also helped reduce the administrative burden on Carl’s shoulders, and allowed for personalized outreach and automated reminders - tools that consistently show high returns.

"There was surprise on our behalf, because we were the first group [at Jefferson] to use it, and the amount of money we raised was shocking."

Carl credited the campaign’s success to early student engagement, a clear communication of tangible needs, and a loyal alumni base eager to give back. The overwhelming response, surpassing their initial $6,000 goal in just three days, even surprised school administrators and solidified Bound as their choice for fundraising.

Bound has helped Carl...

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Nearly Double His Goal

By tapping into a loyal alumni base, collecting donations from outside the community, and clearly communicating program needs, the Jefferson Band nearly doubled its initial goal amount.
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Reach 375+ Supporters in Minutes

Carl leveraged Bound's automated text campaign feature to eliminate a common fundraising burden...outreach.

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Surpass Target in 3 Days

The success was overwhelming. After just a few days receiving donations, Carl was able to confidently transition from fundraising to leading his program.