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Success Stories

Brief Organization Overview

Hope for the Heart is a worldwide ministry based in Dallas Texas. They have a two-fold mission: providing Bible-based counsel to renew minds, heal hearts and bring hope to the hurting, while empowering Christians to disciple others.

More specifically, Hope for the Heart offers help in many ways, including:

• At the core of everything created and distributed by Hope For The Heart — from books to seminars to broadcasting — are the 100 Biblical Counseling Keys authored by June Hunt, who also hosts two radio programs now heard on more than 150 stations nationwide: The 25-minute Hope For The Heart, and a live, 2-hour nightly call-in program, Hope In The Night. A potential worldwide audience of as many as 180 million can find Hope through radio, the Worldwide Net, and several international broadcast networks.
• A rich library of biblical counseling materials, developed in support of its ministries, is offered via their Website.
• Finally, the ministry has an impact that reaches throughout the world by way of partnerships in 40 countries with ministry resources translated or in process of being translated in 19 different languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, Romanian, Telegu, both Traditional and Simplified Mandarin, and American Sign Language.

Challenges

General Issues with existing system:

• Existing Financial and Fundraising systems did not integrate
• Lack of an integrated solution resulted in a duplication of efforts
• Current fundraising solution did not support automated credit card processing, the ordering of books and DVDs, event management, and more

Within the system Hope for the Heart needed to be able to:

• Implement an integrated solution that included Financials, CRM, Fundraising, Radio Broadcast Management, and ERP
• Manage the combination of just-in-time production and regular inventory of their rich set of library materials
• Integrate front-end, constituent-centric functionality, with back-end support systems including financials, real-time website ordering/inventory availability/giving and donation history, real-time freight system shipment options including pricing, speed of service and package tracking

Solution Implemented

Microsoft Dynamics AX^TM and CRM along with Metaphor Software's add-on modules of FUNDamentals 2008 and FUNDraiser 2008

Implementation - Timeframe and Details

Target: Needed to be live before the Holiday buying season. Project started in the fall of 2007

Phase 1: Three Months

• Implement FUNDamentals 2008
• Implemented the GL, AP and Bank Reconciliation financial modules

Phase 2: Five Months

• Implemented FUNDraiser 2008. Functions implemented included donations, pledges, sales orders, credit card processing, receipt processing, campaigns and appeals and integration with Microsoft Dynamics AX^TM.
• Implemented the Inventory, Accounts Receivable, Sales Order Processing and Purchase Order modules of Microsoft Dynamics AX^TM

Benefits and ROI

Phase 1

• Realized operating efficiencies
• More detailed and accurate reporting
• Manual processes have been eliminated in several areas

Phase 2

• Central repository for all donor information including a history of gift giving, interests, life events, counseling notes, event registration and participation
• Operating efficiencies which enables call center personnel to better minister to their callers, process sales and donations and distribute materials
• Automated processes that prepare thank you letters and receipts and notify call center personnel to perform various tasks, such as calling back constituents after they make large donations and pledges
• The Donor Development group loves the data segmentation and campaign automation capabilities of FUNDraiser 2008. FUNDraiser allows Hope for the Heart to run several concurrent campaigns – something that was very difficult to accomplish in the past.
• Better visibility into demand, inventory and production resulting in improved cash flow and constituent satisfaction

Quotes from the Client

"Metaphor Software employs high caliber people who are full of integrity. Everyone we have met from Metaphor has been a great help. Everyone has gone the extra mile to understand our ministry and our goals."

"Metaphor gave us the comfort we needed. They listened to our needs."

"The Metaphor implementation team did a great job getting us up and running in a bit under three months."

-Mark Lincoln, Chief Financial Officer