Empowering fundraising through seamless data and payment integration
War Child UK is committed to safeguarding children affected by conflict, providing protection, education, and advocacy across the globe. Robust fundraising capabilities are crucial to support this mission. However, prior to their partnership with FinDock, War Child UK faced significant challenges impacting their ability to swiftly respond to emergencies, manage donor relationships effectively, and grow their regular giving program.
The challenge: fragmented systems and manual processes
Before adopting FinDock, War Child UK struggled with fragmented data integration between their donation platform and their existing Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) environment. Their previous system lacked flexibility, resulting in incorrect donation coding, manual data reconciliation, and operational delays. The fundraising pages were also rigid, severely restricting the timely launch of emergency appeals. Additionally, thank-you emails following online donations were sent manually, often delayed by several days due to processing and data reconciliation tasks.
Astrid Cheung, Data Lead at War Child UK, recalls: “We were spending about two days each week just unpicking errors and re-coding donations. It was consuming substantial resources and significantly impacting our team’s efficiency.” Additionally, manual processes for Gift Aid submissions further compounded these inefficiencies.
Why Salesforce and FinDock?
War Child UK recognized the need for a seamless, scalable, and integrated solution within their existing Salesforce NPSP infrastructure. FinDock stood out due to its deep Salesforce integration, flexibility in donation handling, and exceptional support quality.
War Child UK partnered with Hazledene Solutions for the successful implementation of FinDock. Emma from Hazledene Solutions commented:
“Having partnered with a range of Nonprofits on FinDock projects, we can see the real difference it makes; seamlessly integrating complex donation processes, dramatically improving data accuracy, and enhancing the donor experience.”
Astrid added:
“FinDock immediately came out on top. Managing donations directly within Salesforce and the impressive support provided made it an ideal choice.”
Transformational vision: seamless, automated fundraising
With FinDock’s implementation, War Child UK dramatically streamlined their fundraising operations. Donation data is now automatically and accurately captured within Salesforce, eliminating manual intervention. Customizable donation pages allow rapid launches of targeted emergency campaigns, significantly enhancing response times.
Astrid shared tangible results: “Emergency appeals that previously took considerable effort to set up can now be launched within a few hours. Our Ukraine and Gaza appeals exemplify how quickly and effectively we can now respond to emergencies.”
This integration has also significantly enhanced donor experiences, fostering greater donor happiness through immediate, personalized thank-you communications and reliable processing of donations.Astrid noted:
“We have significantly reduced donor complaints around incorrect or delayed processing. Donors trust that their generosity is recognized immediately and accurately, greatly enhancing their overall giving experience.”
Exceptional outcomes and ongoing impact
Since integrating FinDock, War Child UK has experienced measurable operational improvements:
- Time Savings: Reduced manual reconciliation from two days per week to virtually zero.
- Improved Data Quality and Trust: Reliable donation coding and accurate, automated reporting.
- Enhanced Donor Retention: Implementation of personalized welcome journeys off the back of real-time accurate donation data in Salesforce which led to improved retention over the first three months by 4.06% (2023-2024).
- Growth in Regular Giving: Enabled increased focus and growth of their regular giving program leading to a 63% increase in the number of regular donations from 2023 to 2024. (4,241 in 2024 vs 2,601 in 2023.)
“Implementing FinDock was one of the best decisions we’ve made in the data team. The operational efficiencies, improved data accuracy, and enhanced donor experiences have been transformational for War Child UK.”
Future-ready fundraising
Looking forward, War Child UK plans to expand their use of FinDock further, incorporating advanced functionalities such as guided bank statement matching and automated Gift Aid submissions. The commitment to continuous improvement ensures that War Child UK remains agile and responsive, leveraging data-driven insights to power their crucial humanitarian efforts.
Astrid confidently recommends FinDock to other organizations, stating:
“It’s a game changer. The intuitive functionality, flexibility, exceptional support, and transformative impact make it an essential tool for any organization serious about fundraising success.”
War Child UK’s journey with Salesforce and FinDock illustrates how integrated, reliable, and flexible fundraising systems are foundational in empowering charities to deliver critical support rapidly and effectively, truly making a difference where it’s needed most.