Migrating Multiple Databases to a Cloud CRM

Migrating legacy data and systems to create a more holistic view of donor behavior

The Challenge

The existing platform that SmileTrain was using for donor management was beginning to become outdated – so much so that the system needed to be downloaded as a desktop application - and was beginning to create a set of problems involved around syncing online/offline data. There were a lot of dependencies on manual data input, and in order to grow they knew they would need to re-think their donor management tools.

With many stakeholders accessing the platform, like internal employees and various third-party vendors, it wasn’t just a system migration – we would need to migrate millions of data points from disparate sources. Together, we developed a plan to implement a new platform, and seamlessly begin migrating over 300 million data points from the legacy software into the new, integrated system.

Goal Setting

Migrate millions of data points to a new platform
Create a more cohesive donor management ecosystem
Develop a plan to do both seamlessly

The Approach

In order to better keep up with the demands of an evolving constituency and create a larger awareness about the Smile Train mission, Icreon proposed a multi-pronged approach that mixes best-in-class CMS, CRM and donor management tools.

The objective was to build an integrated and extendible donor management infrastructure, where constituents can be known and tracked seamlessly as they move from offline to online, online to offline.

“Having access to a lot of resources gave us incredible nimbleness. I could call their team in the morning with a request, and they’d fully implement it by the next morning. As we’d get results back, we could adapt and change."

The Solution

The platform solution fundamentally revolved around knitting together a series of open-source platforms that enable the entire project – from fundraising to content management to constituent relations to database migration. The key activity in transitioning from the legacy system was handling large volumes of data – which were mapped to SalesForce NPSP defaults wherever possible and custom modules being developed and integrated for features and scenarios not handled by SalesForce.

With over 300 million records to transition, we started migrating data in phases to ensure that everything carried over. The migration was flawless, and we are proud to say that not a single penny in donations was lost during the transition.

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