CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

This case study was originally posted by Jeff Porter at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Foundation+for+Prader-Willi+Research.

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The Foundation for Prader-Willi Research is a non-profit organization focused on funding research aimed at identifying treatments and ultimately a cure for Prader-Willi syndrome.  Members of FPWR believe that, through research, treatments can be found that will lessen the restrictions placed on individuals with PWS and their families. These advancements will provide those with the syndrome an opportunity to lead more independent lives.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately one out of every 15,000 births. PWS affects males and females with equal frequency and affects all races and ethnicities. PWS is recognized as a common genetic cause of childhood obesity.

FPWR's website utilizes CiviCRM and Drupal for all of its constituent and donor management.  Since CiviCRM 1.4 and Drupal 4.6, FPWR has managed and tracked donors, and received contributions via CiviContribute and PayPal Website Payments Pro.   

As CiviCRM developed, so has FPWR's use of the platform.  We started managing membership with CiviMember, and then event management through CiviEvent.  FPWR now is handling its mass mailings through CiviMail as well. 

Originally, FPWR evaluated a number of online donor management and fundraising tools, such as Convio, Kintera, GetActive, eTapestry, but found them either inflexible (difficult to integrate well into our website and maintain our brand) or cost-prohibitive (some of them requiring as much as $10,000 to setup and then $20,000 - $30,000 annually to use).  When we discovered CiviCRM we were excited to see that there was a system that would meet our needs and grow with us. 

FPWR is focused on its mission, and we understand the value of online donations and fundraising.  We feel that CiviCRM offers us all of the tools and capabilities we need today and are secure in knowing that we can either work closely with the CiviCRM development team, community, or our own hired resources to customize it as needs arise. 

Thanks to CiviCRM, their excellent development team, and the entire community for helping FPWR achieve its goals.