Salesforce.com Apps Unify JDRF Diabetes Fund-Raising Records

eWEEK

...JDRF, a nonprofit organization focused on type 1 diabetes research, is using cloud computing to create a single location to track 5 million donor records. Since its founding in 1970, JDRF has raised more than $1.6 billion for its research on type 1 diabetes.

Before migrating to the cloud, JDRF would take all donations in cash and on paper, James Szmak, chief operating officer at JDRF, told eWEEK.

The cloud has substantially increased the fund-raising capabilities for JDRF, according to Szmak. Now the organization can contact potential donors through email instead of through postal services and take payments by credit card instead of cash and checks, he said.

Operating its applications in the cloud also allows JDRF to "run an IT shop in a very low-cost manner and put the requirements on the vendors," he said.

JDRF uses Convio Luminate, an engagement application from BlackBaud, on Salesforce's customer-relationship-management platform to manage fund-raising activities, communicate with donors and analyze constituent transactions. The organization also uses a budget and forecast system from Adaptive Planning.

In addition, a cloud-based application from Greater Giving allows the JDRF to manage auctions and track attendees to fund-raising galas, said Szmak.

The cloud enables JDRF to organize all of its records into a single platform and avoid duplication of its 5.5 million donor records, Szmak explained.

Cloud service provider Appirio is the chief integrator that allows JDRF to bring these multiple cloud applications together under one Salesforce platform, he said....

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