Triangle Company Offers High-Tech Way to Help Nonprofits

RALEIGH, N.C. —

A local company has a high-tech way nonprofits can cut fund-raising costs and raise more money.

The Healing Place of Wake County helps homeless men and women with addictions. The average stay is 10 months, but 70 percent of those who leave the Healing Place are sober a year later. It works for just $25 a person per night, but those costs can add up.

It costs $2.5 million to run the facility and the women's facility every year. Every year, it's a challenge to come up with that money.

"It's a make-or-break issue even in an organization like ours. We've been pretty effective in fund-raising, but it's a struggle every year," said Allen Reep of the Healing Place.

Reep said his job is about to get easier, thanks to marketing software developed in the Triangle years ago by SAS.

Corporations pay top dollar for the program to analyze customer data. Now, SAS is donating the software to select nonprofits so they can focus their fundraising.

"Instead of mailing you a request in mid-July and you've never going to give except at Christmas, I can save that and just send it when you're likely to give," said Jon Weisz, of SAS.

SAS started a similar program with Charlotte's Rescue Mission, and reports a 50 percent increase in responses to fund-raising requests. As a result, it means more money raised and fewer hassles for donors.

"It's a never-ending process and that's the exciting part of this software is that it's going to make that process a little easier," Reep said.

The SAS software donated to the Healing Place has a market value of up to $100,000. The software could also help the Healing Place analyze treatment trends, helping counselors help people more efficiently.

Capitol Broadcasting, WRAL's parent company, is a major supporter of the Healing Place.