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Miamibloco is a high-energy, Afro-Brazilian percussion community based in South Florida, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds through the power of rhythm. What started as a small, informal gathering has grown into a thriving nonprofit with a bold mission: to build community and a collective sense of place and identity through the collective joy of samba culture.
Led by Artistic Director and Co-Founder Brian Potts and Creative Director, and Co-Founder suOm Francis, the group has grown from a grassroots rhythm study jam into a nonprofit offering seasonal courses, public performances, and scholarships — all while preserving and amplifying Afro-Brazilian musical traditions.
Challenges before switching to Zeffy
Running a nonprofit bateria (drumming ensemble) is no small feat — and it’s not cheap. With dozens of instruments to purchase, store, maintain, and transport, plus venue rentals and scholarships to fund, every dollar counts.
“Having a bateria nonprofit is an extremely expensive proposition. We have to be lean and intentional with our resources.” — Brian Potts, Artistic Director & Co-Founder
As a small nonprofit, Miamibloco needed a way to manage ticket sales, program registrations, and donations, without sacrificing funds to fees or juggling multiple tools.
The 100% free solution
Miamibloco switched to Zeffy to consolidate their fundraising, registration, and ticketing into one 100% free platform. Instead of juggling multiple tools to manage donations, event ticketing, and seasonal programs, they brought everything under one roof — and eliminated platform fees in the process.
They now use Zeffy for:
- Event ticketing — powering their biggest annual shows
- Seasonal program registration — managing paid memberships and intro academies
- Ongoing donations — giving supporters a direct, fee-free way to contribute
“We used Zeffy to sell tickets, collect program fees, and manage donations — all without paying a cent in fees.”
— suOm Francis, Creative Director, COO & Co-Founder
Discovering Zeffy was a turning point. Every dollar raised now goes directly toward supporting their mission, not third-party fees or unnecessary software.
“When we found out about Zeffy, we were so excited that our donations were actually 100% going towards our mission. I became a Zeffy advocate.”
— suOm Francis
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
- 3+ years on Zeffy — with no fees, no hidden costs, and no compromises
- Over $95,000 raised through Zeffy across donations, programs, and events
- More than $4,800 saved in platform and payment processing fees
Using Zeffy has directly enabled Miamibloco to:
- Rent a U-Haul every week to bring drums to rehearsals
- Offer partial scholarships to members of the community
- Expand programming without increasing overhead
- Sell event tickets without paying ticketing fees
All of that went directly back into the mission, not ticketing platforms, payment processors, or CRM tools.
“Because of the money we saved by using Zeffy, we’ve been able to rent a U-Haul every Monday to bring drums to rehearsal, and offer scholarships to community members.” — suOm Francis
“Platform fees are not the cost of doing business. That money should go to your mission.” — Brian Potts
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