Ukrainian Red Cross: Two years on

We at VRP Consulting are proud to use our Salesforce^® expertise to help some very good causes, and among them is Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS). At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we were glad to help URCS scale their fundraising, working fully pro bono, so they could take in as many donations as possible during this critical time. 

Two years later, VRP’s Nonprofit Practice Director, Laura Croudace, sat down with Dmytro Skliar, Ukrainian Red Cross Head of Fundraising. Laura wanted to ask Dmytro how Salesforce had made a difference to their work and how things are with URCS now that they have best-in-class technology supporting their mission. This is their conversation:

A crisis and a challenge

Laura: Let’s start off with a little bit of background info for anyone who isn’t yet aware of our work together. We know it must have been an incredibly stressful and difficult time for you and your colleagues when you realised you urgently needed a new solution for fundraising. How did VRP help the Ukrainian Red Cross? 

Dmytro: When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unfolded in February 2022, the global community stood united in its commitment to assist Ukraine and its citizens. The objective was clear: to provide aid, protect those escaping danger, and extend substantial humanitarian support. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian Red Cross faced a problem: the lack of necessary technology prevented us from processing donations and communicating with donors. That is, we had only abstract figures, not real information about our donors. That was the challenge we faced when we first started talking to VRP. 

Laura: Yes – it can be a common difficulty for nonprofit organisations, but of course not all of them have such a pressing need to resolve it.

Dmytro: We needed to move fast. We recognised this crucial gap was standing in our way, and swiftly identified the necessity for a robust technological platform. The goal was to create a system that would facilitate quick and effortless financial contributions from donors worldwide, addressing the urgent needs of Ukraine.

Making a big difference without delay

Laura: Getting the new system up and running quickly was so important, wasn’t it?

Dmytro: Yes, and together, we did it! It was a remarkable five-week effort between VRP Consulting and the Ukrainian Red Cross, with a lot achieved. For a start, VRP integrated Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack and Marketing Cloud, which made a huge difference. Also, crucially, a new multi-lingual, multi-currency payment system named iRaiser, provided by the Swiss Red Cross, was incorporated.

Laura: What was the impact on your fundraising?

Dmytro: It was dramatic. Just nine months after this collaborative initiative, the fundraising landscape for the organisation underwent a remarkable transformation.

The results speak for themselves, with 128,000 individual donors from across the globe contributing to our cause. This substantial financial backing has played a pivotal role in safeguarding millions of Ukrainians, providing essential resources such as food, water, first aid, transportation, and shelter. The successful implementation of technology has not only bridged the gap but has also become a beacon of hope, showcasing the power of global collaboration in times of crisis.

Laura: Well put! 

A partnership we’re proud of

Laura: It’s been a brilliant experience working with you. The team have all loved being on this journey together. How would you describe working with VRP whilst the Ukrainian Red Cross was dealing with such urgent situations in Ukraine?

Dmytro: The VRP team actively contributed and provided support in the initial stages of the invasion. Their efforts enabled us to efficiently manage and analyse information related to thousands of donations from various corners of the world. They facilitated seamless communication with donors, expressing gratitude for their support and providing them with comprehensive reports.

Laura: I’m very glad we could do that.

Dmytro: What set VRP’s contribution apart was the speed at which they executed the integration, all while ensuring minimal disruption to our overloaded team during that challenging period. They grasped our needs instantly and delivered an impeccable result. 

Two years later…

Laura: You’ve been on quite a journey. Two years after the invasion, what impact has having a solution like the one VRP created for you had on the organisation?

Dmytro: All the necessary fundraising infrastructure has been created and implemented. That includes donation pages with the possibility of recurring payments; iRaiser; having an integrated CRM system (Salesforce) to manage the database of individual donors; creating a database of corporate donors; and integrating mass-mailings via Marketing Cloud, which allows for powerful email campaigns. As a result, our Resource Mobilisation Unit is able to work with the current donor base and has the necessary tools for donor retention and communication. 

Integration between the Salesforce CRM system and the Marketing Cloud email service has been implemented, which enables the sending of high-quality emails to both corporate and individual donors. Our Resource Mobilisation Unit managed to retain donors who donated in February to March 2022 to make repeat donations, and even attract recurring donors who signed up for monthly donations.

Huge success in fundraising

Laura: So, on the subject of donations, how has the Ukrainian Red Cross been doing?

Dmytro: We’ve been able to raise $25,000,000 in individual donations in the past two years-

Laura: That’s amazing!

Dmytro: Yes, and we’ve also had a lot of success with email campaigns through Marketing Cloud, which VRP enabled us to start using. Those campaigns have raised more than $2 million and attracted more than 1,500 recurring donors. The resources raised allowed URCS to expand its activities during the war and come to the aid of Ukrainian civilians in the most difficult time. During this period, the Ukrainian Red Cross provided assistance to more than 12 million Ukrainians.

Looking back at what was important

Laura: We are so proud of the impact our collaboration – bringing technology to the Ukrainian Red Cross – has had. At VRP, we love seeing fundraising progress and impact, but here’s a question: if you could go back in time and give yourself a piece of advice about implementing the solution VRP created, what would it be?

Dmytro: It can take some time to select high-quality partners and contractors. Not all contractors and agencies are willing to work with – and have experience with – non-profit organisations and understand the context well. Therefore, it is extremely important to have a reliable partner with extensive experience in the charity sector.

Laura: That’s exactly why we have our dedicated VRP Nonprofit Practice, so we can be that partner you need. We formed it to bring together all the nonprofit sector experience VRP has gained over the years, and our wider technology expertise, and combine them with the things I’ve learned “in your shoes”, when I was working as a fundraiser, for example, as well as through spending time with leaders in the nonprofit world. 

Learning from experience 

Laura: Another question: anything you might have done differently?

Dmytro: Today, with the benefit of experience, I think perhaps there may be a few things. Our Salesforce CRM system was integrated with only the URCS website and the Ukrainian payment system LiqPay. Due to a website hack, it became impossible to continue fundraising through LiqPay, so all fundraising continued through the iRaiser platform, which was not integrated with the CRM system. This slowed down communication with new donors and made it difficult to collect information on donations and donors. 

Laura: I see. 

Dmytro: Also, the previous integration did not include the function of mass-emailing donors (except for “thank you” and transactional emails). It would have been good to initially make an integration not only with the Ukrainian payment system, but also with the iRaiser platform, and connect the Marketing Cloud mailing service.

It was also necessary to develop and implement in advance a mechanism of fundraising response to emergencies both in Ukraine and internationally. This was partially tested and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but the full potential for attracting Ukrainian donors was not realised.

Top tips from the Ukrainian Red Cross

Laura: Clearly you’ve learnt a lot, fast, with the pace in which you’ve worked. What are your top three learnings from the last two years, in terms of being a charity working with Salesforce?

Dmytro: The first one is: be ready for everything your organisation may experience. You could have good or bad news which catapults you into the media spotlight and you need to be able to cope with donations.

Secondly: train your teams well – and that’s where VRP were able to help massively. They helped train our teams in how to use the solution they’d built for us, and enabled our team to pick up the new tools quickly to help us raise income. 

Thirdly: use your data and segment your audience to increase the involvement donors can have within your organisation. We have worked with VRP since to implement Marketing Cloud and Tableau to ensure we can help support our donors best, and enable them to have the best experience possible with the Ukrainian Red Cross.

The hard work of URCS continues

Laura: Our time’s almost up, so I want to ask you one more question, the most important one: how are the Ukrainian Red Cross doing two years on?

Dmytro: URCS is actively developing and growing, with more than 1,500 representatives and 8,000 volunteers. The organisation is also adapting to the current situation in the country and, based on current needs, introducing new areas and services to help people in Ukraine. These include rehabilitation, safer behaviour relating to landmines, healthcare services, etc.

But as the war continues and peaceful towns are shelled, the situation remains difficult and the needs of the population are only growing. At the same time, attention to the events in Kyiv has significantly decreased in recent times, along with the number of donations. That is why the fundraising team does not stop its work, as every donation, even the smallest one, turns into vital help here in Ukraine.

If you’d like to make a donation to Ukrainian Red Cross Society, you can do so here.

It was great to catch up 

Thank you so much, Dmytro, for your time in sharing what the fundraising team at the Ukrainian Red Cross are doing now, and how it’s going for you all. VRP Consulting are delighted to have helped and we continue to support you as a team. 

P.S. If anyone reading this wants to learn more about scaling your fundraising for your charity (or other nonprofit) with Salesforce, please get in touch with me through our website and I’ll come back to you quickly, or feel free to add me on LinkedIn! – Laura

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About the Author

Laura Croudace

Global Nonprofit Practice Director, VRP Consulting

Laura has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 12 years, including as a Head of Fundraising and Salesforce Partner Advisory Board Member. As our global Nonprofit Practice Director, she is passionate about enabling nonprofits everywhere to harness the power of Salesforce technology.