Why the WEND Foundation Chose to Transform with Salesforce and ImagineCRM
Introduction
Founded in 2016 by James Walton, the WEND Collective began as an experimental philanthropic initiative aimed at empowering agents of social change. WEND’s approach draws on the principles of nature, relationships, and the unique value of each individual. Over the years, they have supported a diverse range of pilot projects and initiatives in arts, education, Indigenous rights, social justice, and more. However, as the foundation’s operations grew, they found themselves relying on an outdated grants management system hosted by the family office, which came with limitations.
We spoke with Ravi Shah from The WEND Foundation to understand more about their move to Salesforce, working with our team at ImagineCRM.
“We were in a time crunch; we needed something implemented within a year. ” - Ravi Shah, WEND
Why Move To A New System?
Ravi Shah, who joined WEND midway through their journey, realized the existing system was no longer sustainable.
“We didn’t have a system in place for reporting beyond Google Forms and spreadsheets,” Ravi shared.
“There was just a need for something to replace our manual processes and consolidate our data into one CRM.”
The foundation’s growing impact required a platform that could not only run detailed reports but also offer insights from collected data, transforming raw information into actionable insights. For WEND, a new system wasn’t just about efficiency—it was essential for scaling impact.
Why Salesforce?
Ravi was no stranger to Salesforce, having used it in previous roles, and he was drawn to its flexibility and customization capabilities.
“The ability to customize Salesforce was huge for us,” he explained. WEND’s approach to philanthropy was highly adaptive, involving not just grants but also contracts, emergency funding, and unique models for community support.
“Salesforce allowed us to go beyond a traditional grants platform.” Ravi said.
Integrations like DocuSign also helped streamline operations, ensuring everything stayed organized within one system.
The Challenge
Ravi Shah, who joined WEND midway through their journey, realized the existing system was no longer sustainable.
“We didn’t have a system in place for reporting beyond Google Forms and spreadsheets,” Ravi shared.
“There was just a need for something to replace our manual processes and consolidate our data into one CRM.”
The foundation’s growing impact required a platform that could not only run detailed reports but also offer insights from collected data, transforming raw information into actionable insights. For WEND, a new system wasn’t just about efficiency—it was essential for scaling impact.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The Solution
Ravi Shah, who joined WEND midway through their journey, realized the existing system was no longer sustainable.
“We didn’t have a system in place for reporting beyond Google Forms and spreadsheets,” Ravi shared.
“There was just a need for something to replace our manual processes and consolidate our data into one CRM.”
The foundation’s growing impact required a platform that could not only run detailed reports but also offer insights from collected data, transforming raw information into actionable insights. For WEND, a new system wasn’t just about efficiency—it was essential for scaling impact.
Quote Source
“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
“Quote here We were looking for a partner who understood the nuances of grant-making and could provide expert guidance”
- Dwayne
The Impact
Ravi Shah, who joined WEND midway through their journey, realized the existing system was no longer sustainable.
“We didn’t have a system in place for reporting beyond Google Forms and spreadsheets,” Ravi shared.
“There was just a need for something to replace our manual processes and consolidate our data into one CRM.”
The foundation’s growing impact required a platform that could not only run detailed reports but also offer insights from collected data, transforming raw information into actionable insights. For WEND, a new system wasn’t just about efficiency—it was essential for scaling impact.
Key Benefits
Organisational Efficiency for their entire team
Organisational Efficiency for their entire team
Organisational Efficiency for their entire team
Automating the grant-making processes has significantly enhanced RFCC's operational efficiency, eliminating time-consuming manual tasks that previously bogged down the team. This automation has freed up valuable time and resources, allowing the team to shift their focus from administrative duties to more strategic initiatives that drive the organization’s mission forward. By streamlining these processes, RFCC can manage a larger volume of grants with greater accuracy and speed, ultimately increasing their impact.
Automating the grant-making processes has significantly enhanced RFCC's operational efficiency, eliminating time-consuming manual tasks that previously bogged down the team. This automation has freed up valuable time and resources, allowing the team to shift their focus from administrative duties to more strategic initiatives that drive the organization’s mission forward. By streamlining these processes, RFCC can manage a larger volume of grants with greater accuracy and speed, ultimately increasing their impact.
Automating the grant-making processes has significantly enhanced RFCC's operational efficiency, eliminating time-consuming manual tasks that previously bogged down the team. This automation has freed up valuable time and resources, allowing the team to shift their focus from administrative duties to more strategic initiatives that drive the organization’s mission forward. By streamlining these processes, RFCC can manage a larger volume of grants with greater accuracy and speed, ultimately increasing their impact.
Why ImagineCRM?
“Quote here We were looking for a partner who understood the nuances of grant-making and could provide expert guidance”
- Dwayne
An impactful partnership:
Ravi Shah, who joined WEND midway through their journey, realized the existing system was no longer sustainable.
“We didn’t have a system in place for reporting beyond Google Forms and spreadsheets,” Ravi shared.
“There was just a need for something to replace our manual processes and consolidate our data into one CRM.”
The foundation’s growing impact required a platform that could not only run detailed reports but also offer insights from collected data, transforming raw information into actionable insights. For WEND, a new system wasn’t just about efficiency—it was essential for scaling impact.