Digital transformation in NGOs is a topic that until recently seemed distant to many NGOs (non-governmental organisations). For years, Excel spreadsheets, paper forms, and fragmented communication channels dominated the daily work of foundations and associations. Although effective, such solutions have their limitations, especially as the scale of operations grows, and the needs of beneficiaries and expectations of donors become increasingly greater. For NGOs that provide real help every day, an efficient workflow is essential. This is where real change begins: digital transformation in NGOs with Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.
The DOM Foundation – Dbamy o Młodych is a non-profit organisation whose goal is to support children and young people from orphanages and families facing difficult life circumstances. Its activities include:
- organising fundraisers and aid campaigns,
- tutoring and psychological support,
- helping adult foster children in the process of becoming independent.
The Foundation’s most recognisable project is the annual „Zostań Świętym Mikołajem” campaign, thanks to which hundreds of children receive their dream gifts from donors across Poland.
Before implementing a CRM system, the DOM Foundation utilised a variety of inconsistent tools, including Excel files, paper forms, and manually searched emails. The lack of a central database made it difficult to:
- manage donors and volunteers,
- track support for those under its care,
- handle fundraising and aid campaigns.
These processes were time-consuming, error-prone, and required significant administrative work. This hindered the Foundation’s daily operations and its ability to respond quickly to the needs of those under its care.
The impetus for establishing cooperation between the DOM Foundation – Dbamy o Młodych and Craftware came from their participation in the CharITy Hackathon 2024, which combines the world of technology with a social mission.
During the intensive three days, more than a dozen teams designed Salesforce-based solutions that support the operations and address the real challenges of nonprofit organisations.
As the event’s Implementation Partner, Craftware actively supported the participants (two Craftware teams also participated in the hackathon) and committed to implementing the winning concept for the system. Immediately after the event, we moved from idea to implementation: analysing, designing, and configuring Salesforce-based solutions using Nonprofit Cloud components.
The project aimed to:
- centralise data on donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries,
- automate fundraising and communication,
- simplify document generation,
- reduce manual, repetitive tasks,
- and provide flexibility in organising subsequent aid campaigns.
The implementation included a comprehensive Salesforce configuration utilising Service Cloud components and Nonprofit Cloud elements, resulting in an intuitive system tailored to the Foundation’s daily needs. The implemented system is a hybrid of standard Salesforce components and customised automations with Flow, Apex, and LWC components.
Following the first phase of implementation, the DOM Foundation observed tangible benefits in its daily operations. The most important effect was the complete centralisation of data – all information about beneficiaries, donors, needs, and fundraising events is now contained in a single, coherent system. Cases that previously required searching through numerous files and emails are now accessible with just a few clicks, featuring full support history and documentation.
Thanks to process automation (e.g., generating contracts, sending emails, and terminating fundraising events once their goals are reached) and an intuitive workflow, the time required to process a single case has been significantly reduced. The Foundation has gained more space for relationships with donors and beneficiaries, rather than administration.
The implemented public forms (for volunteers, beneficiaries, and needs) are easy to use and feature-rich, allowing users to select their hours of availability, specify the type of support required, and quickly report a need. Importantly, data from the forms is automatically transferred to the system, eliminating the need for manual retyping.
According to the Foundation’s estimates, the number of manual tasks has decreased by several dozen percent, resulting in greater efficiency and a reduced risk of errors.
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Data centralisation
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Time savings
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Less administrative work
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Process automation
The Salesforce implementation project at the DOM – We Care for the Young Foundation demonstrated that technology can be a real support, not just a tool. A carefully selected CRM system, configured with the specific needs of nonprofit organisations in mind, can transform the entire team’s operations, relieve them of routine tasks, and increase the effectiveness of the assistance provided.
Salesforce has proven to be a flexible platform that, despite its advanced architecture, remains intuitive in everyday use. Thanks to an iterative approach, ongoing collaboration with the DOM – We Care for the Young Foundation, and openness to feedback, we managed to create a solution that truly “works”—not only technologically, but above all, truly supports the foundation’s work.
This is an example of how digital transformation in NGOs can be achieved without being expensive or complicated. Instead, it can deliver real value, both for the organisation and the people it serves.
