The Challenge
The Dafydd Lewis Trust and the Mary Jane Lewis Scholarships Foundation both relied on a disconnected web of spreadsheets to manage their stakeholder data. This scattered approach made it difficult to centralise scholar welfare, alumni engagement, and individual correspondence.
They also faced a complex accounting hurdle, as donations required strict separation based on deductible gift recipient (DGR) eligibility. The Mary Jane Lewis Foundation receives DGR-eligible donations, while the Dafydd Lewis Trust relies on occasional direct transfers or bequests, however these donations are not tax deductible.
Each Trust used separate Campaign Monitor accounts for mass email communications and separate Humanitix accounts for event management. They lacked a unified way to seamlessly flow this data into one central repository, leading to manual data entry and inefficiencies.
Solution
To address these hurdles, Blaze Your Trail implemented a customised instance of the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP). We developed a custom application to give staff streamlined access to day-to-day data, complete with a tailored screen flow for efficiently onboarding new scholarship recipients.
The complex financial routing was solved by utilising General Accounting Unit (GAU) Allocations alongside automated Salesforce flows. When a donation is marked "Closed Won," the system automatically allocates the funds to either the Mary Jane Lewis or Dafydd Lewis GAU based on specific keywords in the campaign name.
Essential third-party platforms were seamlessly integrated into the new ecosystem to reduce manual entry. Humanitix event data now syncs hourly to populate Salesforce campaigns, while a nightly Beaufort 12 sync ensures Campaign Monitor mailing lists reflect the latest CRM data.
Benefits
Streamlined Operations
Moving from disconnected spreadsheets to a centralised CRM has significantly reduced the team’s administrative workload. Staff can now manage donations, track scholar welfare, and oversee event attendance all in one place, saving time and improving day-to-day efficiency.
Improved Data Security
Consolidating sensitive information into a secure platform has reduced the risk of data breaches. With proper user permissions and domain authentication in place, the organisation can confidently protect supporter and scholar data.
Stronger Relationships & Future Growth
With better visibility of historical data and simplified communication tools, the organisation is now well positioned to build stronger relationships with donors and alumni. This foundation supports more effective fundraising and enables future growth in scholarship distribution.
In their own words..
"Blaze Your Trail was an outstanding partner throughout our Salesforce implementation. Their expertise in alumni relationship management and fundraising systems ensured the project was delivered successfully and aligned with our strategic objectives."
Amie Armstrong
Scholarships Program Manager
Dafydd and Mary Jane Lewis Trusts
You can view and print the Dafydd Lewis Trust and the Mary Jane Lewis Scholarships Foundation case study here.
