How MDA transformed fundraising with DonorDrive 

Overview 

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has spent over 70 years funding research, care, and advocacy for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. While they had plenty of digital fundraising tools in place, they were out of date and began holding them back. To reach their goals, MDA needed a modern, integrated platform to power all fundraising efforts without relying on outside consultants. 

They turned to Bonterra DonorDrive to streamline operations, innovate quickly, and deliver the experience their supporters expect. 

Challenges

Before DonorDrive, MDA’s systems were costly, complex, and slow to adapt. The organization relied on third-party consultants to manage multiple peer-to-peer programs, individual giving, and DIY fundraising initiatives. Launching new campaigns could take months, and their user experience, especially for event participants and donors, was suffering. 

MDA needed a flexible, scalable digital fundraising solution that would integrate with their Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), required little customization, and that their internal team could use to support both day-to-day execution and long-term innovation. 

Solution 

MDA transitioned all fundraising programs, including peer-to-peer, DIY, individual giving, and mobile app, to DonorDrive. Making the switch allowed them to create the fundraiser and donor experience they envisioned without the need to hire third-party consultants, With easy-to-use event templates, internal teams can now launch a full walk series in just hours instead of months. 

The team also launched new initiatives, like: 

• MDA Let’s Play, a livestream fundraising program that engages gamers and content creators on Twitch and YouTube. 
• A virtual component to their Fill the Boot campaign to reach donors when in-person fundraising wasn’t possible 

Thanks to DonorDrive’s open API and out-of-the-box Salesforce integration, MDA built a custom connection to their supporter database enabling robust data reporting and strategic growth. 

Impact 

Since partnering with DonorDrive, MDA has achieved significant annual technology cost savings, operational efficiencies, and fundraising growth. The team reduced the number of payment gateways from 83 to just one, simplifying backend processes and lowering transaction costs by switching to a more affordable payment processor. These savings allowed MDA to reinvest time and resources into strategy and innovation. Internal teams can now launch and update campaigns quickly,  without relying on consultants, and real-time reporting enables data-driven decisions.  

These efficiencies, combined with the flexibility of DonorDrive’s platform, have helped MDA increase sustainer giving by 65%. Above all, the partnership has empowered MDA to experiment, adapt, and grow with the full support of a tech partner invested in their long-term success. 

Interested in learning more? Read the full case study here.