CUSTOMER STORY
How The Mozilla Foundation Increased Donations by $1.2M in One Year with Plative and Salesforce
The Mozilla Foundation has long been a trailblazer in the fight for a free, open, and fair internet. By advocating for data privacy, digital inclusivity, and internet freedom, the Foundation strives to make the online world a place where people—not corporations—are the driving force. However, achieving this vision required overcoming significant challenges in managing donor and volunteer data efficiently, while staying true to Mozilla’s core values of privacy and ethical data stewardship.
At the heart of this transformation lies Salesforce, a platform that has become integral to the Mozilla Foundation’s operations. By adopting Salesforce as its central CRM system, the organization has established a powerful infrastructure for managing data in alignment with its privacy commitments. With Plative’s expertise as the implementation partner, the Foundation has successfully streamlined operations and reinforced its mission to lead by example in ethical data practices and personalization.
TECHNOLOGIES INVOLVED
Aligning Data Management with Privacy Values
As a champion of data privacy, the Mozilla Foundation needed a solution that could manage its vast and complex data ecosystem while upholding user trust. Salesforce became a significant platform to support their efforts, providing a robust site to centralize and protect the Foundation’s data. With several million records, nearly half of that data lacked critical identifiers, which made it difficult to maintain an effective data system. Salesforce’s capabilities, combined with Plative’s expertise, enabled the Foundation to clean and de-duplicate its data, enhancing segmentation and personalization efforts essential to donor outreach.
Volunteer management posed another challenge. Previously dependent on fragmented systems, the Mozilla Foundation needed a centralized method to track volunteer applications, inquiries, and participation. Salesforce, customized by Plative, now powers a seamless volunteer management system that allows the Foundation to engage effectively with its global volunteer network.
Crucially, Salesforce enabled the Mozilla Foundation to balance personalization with its unwavering commitment to data privacy. Lean data practices—ensuring only necessary information is collected and used responsibly—are now woven into the Foundation’s CRM operations. Salesforce’s flexibility and security features have made it an indispensable tool for Mozilla’s ethical approach to data management.
“The complexity of managing so much data while staying true to our commitment to privacy required creative solutions—Plative understood our values and helped us align our systems with them.”
-Mary Helen Ybarra Johnson, Manager of CRM Platforms, Mozilla Foundation
Personalization Improves Fundraising Results
The partnership between the Mozilla Foundation and Plative has delivered transformative results, enabling the Foundation to achieve greater operational efficiency and impact. Comprehensive data cleanup enhanced donor outreach, allowing them to personalize campaigns with tailored asks in local currencies. These improvements significantly elevated Mozilla Foundation’s fundraising efforts.
In 2023, the Mozilla Foundation raised $3.43 million—a $1.2 million increase from its previous fundraising efforts, demonstrating how a well-implemented CRM system like Salesforce can support growth while staying aligned with ethical data practices.
Volunteer management also saw notable improvements. With a centralized system now managing intake, tracking, and follow-up, Mozilla has streamlined its global volunteer operations, fostering stronger connections and coordination at key events.
By integrating ethical data practices into every aspect of the solution, Plative’s tailored approach aligned with the Mozilla Foundation’s commitment to privacy and stewardship. The result is a unified system that not only strengthens the Foundation’s ability to manage relationships, but also sets a new standard for ethical data management in the nonprofit sector.
“What I value most about working with Plative is their ability to truly listen and offer thoughtful solutions that align with our values,”
-Mary Helen Ybarra Johnson, Manager of CRM Platforms
Looking Ahead: Scaling Impact with Sustainable Solutions
Looking to the future, the Mozilla Foundation is poised to expand its use of Salesforce to unlock even greater potential. Features like grant tracking and real-time revenue reporting are on the horizon, promising to provide Mozilla Foundation with a more comprehensive view of its organizational strategy and revenue streams.
Automation is another priority, to help utilize Salesforce to streamline compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR. By centralizing its data on Salesforce, the Foundation can ensure its operations remain both efficient and ethically grounded. Additionally, Salesforce’s flexibility will allow Mozilla to build stronger business processes and foster collaboration among its teams, creating a unified approach to user engagement.
As the Mozilla Foundation continues to innovate, Salesforce will remain at the core of its efforts to protect a free and open internet. With Plative’s ongoing support, the Foundation is well-equipped to tackle future challenges and expand its global impact, setting new standards for responsible technology use in the nonprofit sector.
“Salesforce is more than just a tool; it’s the foundation for how we operate ethically and effectively. It allows us to scale impact while staying true to our mission and values.”
-Mary Helen Ybarra Johnson, Manager of CRM Platforms, Mozilla Foundation
“We’re building the foundation for long-term sustainability with Salesforce. While change can be difficult, it’s also important to make our organization stronger and more closely aligned with our mission.”
-Mary Helen Ybarra Johnson, Manager of CRM Platforms
About the Mozilla Foundation
Mozilla Foundation is the non-profit, movement-building, and philanthropy arm of Mozilla — The technology company behind the Firefox web browser. Mozilla Foundation’s mission is to ensure that the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all. This also includes making sure AI and data-driven technologies are more trustworthy.
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