(TORONTO, ONTARIO) – Some $35 million in electronic-generated funds flowed into United Way annual campaign coffers through Andar/360 e-Pledge this past year, the most ever according to just-released figures from Helix Data Processing Consultants LTD, developers of the software. Fifteen United Ways across America generated the record totals using the Toronto-based firm’s fundraising management system.
Cincinnati led the way with an estimated $18 million in electronic funds raised (a number which, notably, tops all United Way offices listed in a recent survey by the Chronicle of Philanthropy about online fundraising trends). Meanwhile, United Ways located in Philadelphia, San Jose, Wilmington (Delaware) and Toledo posted strong numbers as well. Helix back-office software processes in excess of $1.4 billion annually for the United Way, representing over 35% of the total annual campaign nationwide.
Both United Way and Helix executives are delighted with the e-Pledge outcome, which more than doubled the amount of money raised through the electronic channel last year. The Internet-based solution, part of the comprehensive Andar/360 For Fundraisers software package, helped five United Way offices generate nearly $13 million during its inaugural year.
Wayne Meadows, a technology executive with United Way in Wilmington said, “This fundraising tool produced a benefit beyond simply raising money. It allowed us to concentrate on what we do best, which is building communities.”
Winston Faircloth, CEO of the United Way Processing and Information Center (UwPIC), said, “We selected Andar/360 not only for its use as e-pledge tool, but as a
individual platform for year-round donor involvement,” said Faircloth. “With the upcoming introduction of the e-Community and e-Volunteer modules, participants in the
United Way campaign will soon be able to learn more about human service
needs and volunteer opportunities in their own community. This ability to
bring information, tailored to the needs and interests of individual
donors, sets the Andar/360 e-pledge tool apart from other applications.”
Several factors contributed to the campaign’s success. First, employees are growing increasingly comfortable with electronic, workplace-based giving – in part because of their familiarity and regular interface with technology. Second, Andar/360’s real time tracking feature solves a major problem for time-pressed managers. It enables executives at the charity as well as employee campaign coordinators to instantly access data. Because the Andar/360 e-Pledge database is fully integrated with the larger back-office campaign database, data transfer – an often thorny issue with outside companies who offer electronic pledge services – was immediate and free of compatibility problems that can occur.
Many United Way supporters at the corporate level also embraced the customization capabilities available with the Helix product. The interface of Andar/360 e-Pledge can be designed to meet corporate communication standards at both United Way
as well as participating companies. Additionally, managers can customize the software to
provide any number of different views for various donor classifications.
Philadelphia’s United Way became the first location to use Andar/360’s latest e-Pledge enhancement, a national processing module designed exclusively for corporations with multiple offices scattered across the country. With the new feature, campaign managers and executives can not only track their own performance, but also see how the data relates to campaigns underway at other corporate offices. The increased functionality and success in Philadelphia has prompted several United Ways to install the enhanced version of e-Pledge in preparation for the fall 2003 campaign.
“Whether it’s developing a national processing capability or new reporting formats, we’re continually challenging ourselves to develop innovative solutions to stimulate and manage online giving,” said Réal Bédard, Helix Vice President. “The strong results we’ve generated with United Way has sparked interest from several other large nonprofit organizations, as well as corporations wanting to more effectively manage their charitable giving activities. We will pursue these opportunities as part of our larger goal of converting the promise of online fundraising into reality.”
Helix is a leading provider of cost-effective, enterprise-wide fundraising and community support software to nonprofit organizations. Drawing on its 15 years of service and experience with the nonprofit sector, Helix offers within its “ Andar/360 Fundraising Software,” an integrated suite of products that addresses various missions of non-profits, such as fundraising campaign management, online giving,
allocation of funds,
outcomes measurements,
volunteer matching,
and community services
such as
Information & Referral (211).
In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Although Helix attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
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