Small Nonprofit, Big Impact: How Thistle & Bee Grew Fundraising 357% with OneCause
Background
Nestled in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, Thistle & Bee is a small but mighty nonprofit with a powerful mission: to help women survivors of human trafficking find healing, hope, and independence.
“We’re a robust but new and necessary organization,” shared Autumn Chastain, Executive Director of Thistle & Bee. “Our women live in our safe housing for two years while they do the hard inner work to break the cycle.”
Throughout the program, residents receive wraparound services, including safe housing, therapy, job skills training, and meaningful employment through Thistle & Bee’s social enterprise.
“We harvest honey and make these amazing honey-based products,” Autumn explained. “The women earn a living wage while learning transferable skills in commercial kitchens and consumer packaged goods. It’s transformative work.”
Every jar of honey and every dollar raised helps women rebuild their lives. But as a small nonprofit with limited staff and resources, fundraising efficiency is everything.
Opportunity
Thistle & Bee’s biggest fundraising event of the year is their annual Farm-to-Table Gala, a warm, community-centered evening celebrating the resilience of the women they serve.
But behind the scenes, managing the event had become a manual effort.
Before partnering with OneCause, their event process was powered by clipboards, spreadsheets, and email threads:
- Silent auctions were handwritten and tracked manually.
- Tickets and seating charts lived in Excel.
- Sponsorships were managed by email and sticky notes.
- Check-in lines stretched long, leaving donors frustrated.
As the organization grew, Executive Director Autumn Chastain knew they needed a fundraising solution that could help them raise more, save time, and deliver a professional guest experience.
But as a small nonprofit, every investment required careful consideration. “We debated whether software was worth it,” she admitted. In the end, they knew they couldn’t keep doing things the old way if they wanted to grow.
When Autumn began exploring fundraising platforms, one conversation stood out. “When I called OneCause, I immediately noticed the difference,” she said. “They didn’t just pitch me software. They listened. They asked about our challenges, what we wanted to accomplish, and gave honest comparisons. That meant a lot to me. It felt like they were a partner, not a salesperson.”
Solution
Thistle & Bee chose the OneCause Fundraising Platform. They began with a focused, step-by-step approach, expanding into more tools as their confidence and results grew.
“Our first year, we just did ticketing and the silent auction,” Autumn shared. “We kept it simple. Even with that, it changed everything.”
By the second year, Thistle & Bee added sponsorships, check-in, live auctions, donation appeals, raffles, fixed-price items, and seamless checkout – all with OneCause.
Ticketing & Sponsorships
“It made ticketing so much easier,” said Autumn. “Everything was integrated. Sponsors could upload logos, assign ticket holders, and their guests could register online. It looked professional and polished.”
That professional image translated directly into growth.
“It made us look like we had our act together,” she laughed.
Autumn especially appreciated how OneCause personalized the process. “We had a VIP event this year, and we wanted guests to be notified when they registered,” she said. “Our consultant worked with us, and it made everything seamless for our sponsors and table hosts.”
Check-In & Guest Experience
This year’s 200-guest gala began smoothly thanks to the express check-in tools the platform offers. “It was night and day from before,” Autumn said. “We want our guests to feel welcomed. We want them to feel engaged. We want it to be a seamless, enjoyable evening. OneCause made that possible.”
Autumn smiled, relaying one story from check-in. “Our accountant’s husband works in IT for large events. He told me, ‘This is the smartest, most intuitive software I’ve ever seen.’” Autumn added, “He and his wife volunteered to do check-in again next year, because it was just that easy.”
Silent & Live Auctions
Preparing the auction used to take weeks of manual work. With OneCause, it became refreshingly simple.
“The AI feature that helped write item descriptions was amazing,” Autumn said. “And I absolutely loved that donors could upload their own items through the event website. They filled out their own forms, added photos, and it went straight into our auction. That was beautiful, and it really gave us time back.”
The mobile bidding experience was a hit with attendees. “We had 51 auction items,” Autumn said.
Donation Appeal & Paddle Drop
Autumn introduced a new paddle drop appeal this year, an idea suggested by her OneCause event consultant.
“After a few of our survivors performed, our auctioneer invited guests to raise their paddles to commit gifts,” she said. “Then, everyone raised their paddles together at one level, and we drew one for a prize basket of our survivor-made products. It kept the energy up and made giving feel fun.”
Autumn credits her consultant for the innovation. “I’d never heard of a paddle drop before,” she said. “But it was brilliant. It brought a sense of community and joy to giving.”
Checkout & Reporting
By the end of the night, guests checked out seamlessly on their phones. No lines, no confusion.
“In past years, we spent weeks tracking down payments,” Autumn said. “This year, it was instant. Guests clicked to confirm and walked out with their items. It was wonderful.”
Autumn also loved how quickly she could share results with her board. “Of course, they’re excited. They just enjoyed a wonderful evening, and now they want to know how we did. The reports made my board very happy,” she said, smiling. With OneCause, Autumn and her team no longer had to dig through or compile spreadsheets.
A Valuable, Trusted Partner
Cost is always a consideration for smaller nonprofits like Thistle & Bee, but Autumn shares openly about the value and return OneCause provided her.
Beyond the financial gain, OneCause gave Thistle & Bee the gift of time. “The time we got back is a donation in itself,” Autumn reflected. “Every minute we save is a minute we can spend with our women or in the community.”
Autumn emphasized that OneCause has been worth every penny. “We’re small, so of course we watch expenses,” she said. “But with OneCause and their flexible payment options, the return was undeniable: more money raised, more engagement, and more time saved. The value far outweighed any cost.”
Looking Ahead
With a successful gala behind them, Thistle & Bee is already planning how to use OneCause in new ways. “We’re excited to start using the peer-to-peer and challenge features,” Autumn said. “Younger donors want immediacy and impact. They’ll give on the spot if it’s easy. OneCause gives us that flexibility.”
Results
Beyond the time and effort saved by Autumn and her team, the impact on their fundraising and the overall guest experience was clear.
- Raised 171% in first year moving from paper to OneCause
- Grew fundraising 357% in second year of partnering with OneCause
- 65% of their 200 guests were check-in ready prior to their most recent event
- Set a new standard of guest experience for future events
When asked what she’d say to other small nonprofits considering OneCause who attended her event, Autumn smiled. “I’d ask, ‘Did you enjoy yourself? Did you wait in line? Did you get frustrated?’ No, because OneCause makes it easy.”
Advice for Nonprofits
- Select silent auction items carefully. Too many items are overwhelming to bidders.
- Make checkout easy by ending your silent auction midway through your event.
- Having teams work in pairs is an easy way to spot and record donations during your appeal.
Connect with A Cause
To learn more about Thistle & Bee, please visit their website.
More fundraising resources are just a click away.
