Direct Relief Tackles Fund-Raising with Esri Community Analyst

Affordable SaaS Mapping Solution Minimizes Outreach Costs, Keeps Focus on Providing Medical Supplies

October 11, 2011

Community Analyst helps Direct Relief find private funding sources for medical supply donations.

Redlands, California—Nonprofit organization Direct Relief International is integrating Community Analyst into its business information system to help manage and grow its fund-raising efforts. Community Analyst, a Software as a Service (SaaS) mapping and data analysis solution, will allow staff at Direct Relief to look at profiles of existing donors at small scales of geography, such as census block groups, and identify where new donors might be located.

"Efficient private fund-raising is a tough nut to crack," says Andrew Schroeder, director of research and analysis for Direct Relief. "By understanding our existing donors and finding better ways to locate more like them, we believe we can attract a more substantial and sustainable donor base. We'll be more able to think strategically about how to raise resources."

Direct Relief relies solely on private support, operating on $341 million brought in through cash and in-kind contributions last year. The nonprofit spends less than 0.5 percent of this total on fund-raising to reach that level each year. Sustaining this efficiency is important to Direct Relief. With Community Analyst, the organization has a cost-effective way to improve its target marketing and outreach campaigns in the United States, ensuring that less money is spent on fund-raising and more goes toward the vulnerable populations it serves.

Direct Relief annually provides medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to 72 countries, reaching populations that otherwise do not have access to them. These populations are either low-income and without health insurance or living in developing countries that lack the infrastructure necessary to provide basic health services.

Through the Esri Nonprofit Organization Program, nonprofits like Direct Relief can take advantage of the powerful capabilities of Community Analyst at 50 percent off the regular subscription fee. This program is designed to provide conservation and humanitarian nonprofit organizations with an affordable means of acquiring Esri software and services. Other types of nonprofit organizations may also qualify. Eligibility is based on formal tax-exempt status, as signified by a 501(c) designation and National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) category. Organizations can verify eligibility by applying for membership in the Esri Nonprofit Organization Program.

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