Community Member Spotlight: Meet Ally Tatlow! 

Ally Tatlow joined the Blackbaud Community in 2018 after the Akron Zoo, a longtime Blackbaud customer, added Blackbaud Altru to unify its ticketing, fundraising, and membership management.


Like many organizations, the Akron Zoo had to adapt in the face of a global pandemic. They experienced an increase in popularity for online sales while at the same time experiencing staff shortages, and they wanted to improve the guest experience without adding more staff responsibilities. You can learn more about how they accomplished this while also gaining deeper insights into their patrons in this customer spotlight.


Read on to learn more about Ally, including her adventurous family, what her typical day looks like, and what her favorite animal is at the zoo.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: My husband and I have been together for almost 19 years and have three wonderful kiddos (Holden – 11, Wyatt – 8 and Emilia- 4)

Q: What do you like to do for fun?

A: I love adventuring and traveling with my family and seeing the world through my kiddos’ eyes.

Q: What is an achievement (personal or professional) of which you are particularly proud?

A: The successful implementation of Altru with my colleague and wonder twin, Jeannette. It was a very complex project to spearhead as a team of two but has had so many wonderful benefits for our organization.

Q: Tell us about your organization:

A: Founded in 1953, the Akron Zoo is a 50-acre nonprofit zoo located near downtown Akron, Ohio. The zoo is home to over 1,000 animals representing over 100 different species. We have been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1989. In 2021 we had 386,163 visitors and 12,808 member households.

Q: Tell us about your role as membership manager. What does your typical day look like, and what is your favorite part of your job?

A: I am a one person show, so for me a typical day is spent assisting customers and processing memberships, with a healthy sprinkle of database management. Because I am typically working at my desk, one of my favorite parts of my job is when I’m able to be in the field and more directly impact our guests’ experiences – whether that’s assisting them at our ticket counter, leading a behind the scenes tour, or watching our member families enjoy time together during our exclusive members only evenings in the summer.

Q: The Akron Zoological Park has seen some impressive results with its membership program – for example, you’ve added 2,000 new memberships over the last three years! How have you used Blackbaud Altru to help manage your membership program?

A: We implemented Blackbaud Altru in March 2019 – a year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, as many organizations experienced during the height of the pandemic, our member households decreased around 35%. As things have finally begun to level off and return to pre-pandemic levels and behavior, we have been able to successfully rebound our losses and even make a few gains. The in-depth reporting and query functionality of Altru has been crucial to my efforts as I’ve watched these numbers ebb and flow and tried to plan my next moves.

Q: You’ve been a Blackbaud Community member for more than four years (thank you!). What do you enjoy most about it, and how has being able to connect with peers helped you?

A: I’ve really enjoyed and appreciated the helpfulness of the other members in the Community, it’s great to be part of a community where folks are willing to share information and experiences - especially the last couple of years as we’ve all navigated uncharted territory.

Q: What’s your favorite animal at the zoo and why?


A: Our brother & sister grizzly bears, Jackson and Cheyenne, hold my top spot – they moved to the zoo early in my career when they were very young and it has been so much fun to watch them grow up, they have the biggest personalities! As a former Yellowstone National Park employee, they are also a nice little call back to my favorite park.

If you would like to connect with Ally, send her a connection request in Community and/or you can let her know what your favorite zoo animal is in the comments below!