This fundraising tool is integrated to Generacity.com, a social networking website utilizing application integrated social networking. This integration has been achieved due to proprietary technology developed at Advans which is a software development and consulting firm.

Generacity.com is a free social networking website integrated with AdvansDRM so donors or alumni can track their participation with the nonprofits, colleges, and universities to whom they donate. All the donors and alumni in the AdvansDRM database are automatically part of their nonprofit groups in Generacity.com by choice, so nonprofits can more readily interact with them via Generacity.com. Nonprofits' managers manage and moderate their own groups in Generacity.com and could publish their fundraising campaigns and events in Advans DRM automatically to Generacity.com.

The key differentiator of Generacity.com as a social networking website is its integration to AdvansDRM database. One of the key features is that users in Generacity.com are created by default with 100% privacy and with levels in privacy settings, allowing the nonprofit organization to keep in touch with their members quickly and easily through integrated processing between the Donor or Alumni Database and the Social Networking Database.

In Use

Expected features of AdvansDRM include gifts, pledges, matching gifts, and membership management, as well as the ability to create unlimited fundraising campaigns and receive online donations through integrated credit card processing. AdvansDRM is a very powerful fundraising tool and yet easy to use. It also automates many routine and manual tasks.

Additional Features of AdvansDRM include:

• Ability to send emails and newsletters directly from the application to customized list of constituents based on user-defined attributes. No need to export lists to other third-party applications like Constant Contact.
• All communications (emails, newsletters, reminders, etc.) from the AdvansDRM are automatically logged in constituent contact logs.
• HTML editor for newsletters with templates.
• Ability to create unlimited number of custom codes and demographic details to track and manage your donors.
• Graphical interface to user created custom queries without programming.
• Intuitive and easy-to-use graphical interface for batch processing of repetitive tasks, such as acknowledgements, reminders, receipts, etc. All are automatically sent rather than manually sent one at a time. Contact logs are automatically updated as well.
• Automated records merge to eliminate duplicates.
• Easy-to-use data loading utilities.
• Ability to integrate to customers existing legacy systems.
• Ability to integrate sophisticated reporting tools such as Business Objects, Crystal Reports, Cognos or any OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) tools to AdvansDRM database.

Technology Employed

• AdvansDRM is a cloud/SaaS product hosted in the Advans Public Cloud
• AdvansDRM is a combination of Customer Relationship Management tools and nonprofit administrative functionality for gifting, pledges, event/campaign management, etc.
• Integrated Social Networking Site - Generacity.com
  • Combination of Facebook and LinkedIn
  • All constituents get a free account
  • All constituents become a member of your nonprofit organization's group
  • You control your message
  • Constituents may donate to your organization online directly from Generacity.com
  • Your constituents can invite their friends to join your group for free where they can then donate to your organization
  • Your constituents become fund raisers for your organization
• A very inexpensive SaaS product
  • Can be integrated with existing software
  • Because it is so inexpensive, there is no need to replace existing software
  • Use the combination of the AdvansDRM and Generacity.com as an additional marketing channel to augment existing efforts.

Deployment

• No configuration required as the AdvansDRM is a SaaS product
• Built-in utilities make loading data easy - most clients do it themselves
• All that is required to get the system running is to load your data or setup an automated data load to continue to use your existing legacy system.
• Advans will assist clients in loading data if necessary or setup networking to integrate with existing legacy systems.

Recap

AdvansDRM supplies the tools that one would expect from this type of product, including things like gifts, campaigns, pledges, and the ability to process transactions. The interface is clean and clear, and there is a fairly comprehensive list of reports to choose from. The company has chosen to enhance the product by integrating it with the social networking site Generacity.com. This can work to increase interaction between the organization and its constituents and to give everyone more buy-in to the mission and solvency of the organization.

Several versions of the product are available, including free versions for smaller nonprofits. Customers could actually switch among any and all of these versions because the foundational and customer data are interoperable across all versions. Pricing is quite competitive, and there is no additional cost for the social media aspect of Generacity.com.

Advantages/Disadvantages

• Advantages
  • Cloud/SaaS software
  • Nothing to install or configure
  • Powerful and easy-to-use
  • Works with existing products
  • Brings the power of social networking to nonprofit marketing and fundraising
• Disadvantages
  • Not custom built to one organization's needs
  • Could feel like another social networking obligation

My Opinion

The overall product doesn't look as flashy as others that I've encountered, but it does seem to have the heart of a good DRM. The company is really focused on the additional benefits of social networking with Generacity.com. I didn't have the opportunity to look into that more fully, so I'm unable to really give an opinion about the effectiveness of the tool. That said, it's clear that social media has many positive implications for the nonprofit world, and with no additional charge for its use, it certainly seems like an excellent tool to explore.

The company offers a nice demo through the web site and will answer any questions that arise as you get a hands-on feel for working with the system.

More information is available at www.AdvansDRM.com and www.Generacity.com.