Salesforce Implementation for Online Donations

After the Harvest, a new hunger-relief organization in Kansas City, wanted a solution to track volunteers, financial donors, farmers, and pantries in a single database. My role on the project was to establish and execute a vision for a constituent relationship management (CRM) system that integrates with the organization's website that I built in August 2014. My work also included overseeing the Salesforce installation by another volunteer on the team, installing and configuring the Click & Pledge Salesforce applications, defining and testing online donation forms, then integrating the forms with the WordPress site.

The group was looking for a way to accept online financial donations, as well as a way for volunteers to create a volunteer profile and signup for volunteer events. Based on the vision After the Harvest selected Salesforce, a leading CRM solution that provides free licenses to non-profit groups through their Non-Profit Starter Pack option. They also chose Click & Pledge, a company that provides online and mobile tools for donation and event management integrated with Salesforce. This solution was the least expensive with a small monthly cost and online transaction fees.

After the Harvest has a common challenge to managing the organization's

data and information.

After the Harvest started their non-profit organization in May 2014 working to glean produce from fields and orchards to deliver to area food pantries and soup kitchens.

Many established organizations have multiple databases to track their constituencies, which makes it difficult to transition into a CRM system. After the Harvest, like many groups, tracks CRM information using spreadsheets, forms and lists, but the start-up nature of the group makes it easier to move to a new, all-in-one database.

Phase 1 - Install and configure Salesforce to manage volunteers and financial donors

The setup of the system to accept online donations was completed in time for the organization's first fundraiser conducted on October 23, 2014. Completing it by this time allowed the group to encourage supporters to donate online if they were unable to attend the fundraising event. Training and a user's guide was prepared to instructor After the Harvest's fundraising staff to track donations.

After the Harvest donation page hosted by Click & Pledge.

Additional work to publish volunteer profile and event signup forms will complete this phase.

Phase 2 - Customize Salesforce to track the acquisition and distribution of produce.

This phase of the work for After the Harvest envisions allowing produce donors -- farmers and orchard owners -- to offer a donation online. This function will allow program administrators a way to communicate with potential donors and track the volume and estimated value of the product for tax purposes and grant reporting.