Success Story: A TRANSFORMATive Journey
Maine Community Foundation
The Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) has long served as a crucial link, bringing people and resources together to build a better Maine.
The Challenge
As the organization expanded, outdated systems began to hinder their progress. Inefficient grant processing and fragmented data created challenges that no longer aligned with their goal to deepen community impact.
For years, MaineCF relied on a suite of products—Raiser’s Edge, Financial Edge, and Grant Edge. While functional, these systems required significant manual work, were disconnected, and couldn’t support the foundation’s growth goals.
“We really wanted a system that didn’t require third-party integrations. We needed an all-in-one solution—customizable, configurable, and one that allowed us to put our own flavor on it.””
- Colby TUCKER, Director of Information technology
The solution
When Foundation Partners introduced their Fund 360 package, built entirely within Salesforce, it stood out. It provided MaineCF with integrated fund accounting, eliminating the need for costly third-party systems. Foundation Partners worked closely with MaineCF to create a unified Salesforce platform that transformed their processes and improved donor relationships.
This allowed MaineCF to:
Streamline donor-advised grant requests. With an Experience Cloud Donor Portal, donors could log on, submit requests, and see updates in real time, while grant records were automatically created for staff to process internally.
Enhance internal collaboration by breaking down data silos. With all teams working from the same system, staff could see a complete view of donor, grantee, and program relationships.
Modernize financial operations.
MaineCF’s transformation went beyond a donor portal—Foundation Partners introduced tools that saved time and improved accuracy across the board:
Key Features Driving Efficiency:
Grant and Financial Data Integration.
Mass Updates: Inline editing and Apsona’s tools allowed for fast updates across multiple records.
Award Letters Automation: Generating award letters, whether emailed or mailed, went from a manual process to an automated one. With Apsona’s Email and Document Merge feature, staff could create, send, and save letters with just a few clicks.
ACH Payment Processing: ACH payments are now more efficient with Check 21, a third-party tool integrated with Fund 360. If an account is set up with an email address, notifications are sent automatically through Salesforce.
"The extra steps of downloading payment information and then uploading those payments to the bank have been eliminated."
- Elena Sulima, Director of Finance
The Cultural Shift: Empowering Teams
The transition wasn’t just technological—it sparked a cultural shift at MaineCF. By removing data silos, teams could collaborate more effectively and share responsibility for maintaining data accuracy.
“Because the systems were controlled by their own groups, a lot of the work was funneled to specific people,” Colby said. “Now, the system is transparent, and many users can make changes if permission allows. It makes each team think about their data and take responsibility for it.”
The flexibility of Fund 360’s journal entries allow MaineCF to store backups directly within the entry, eliminating the need for separate filing. Additionally, finance staff can now attach invoice copies and documentation directly to records, making audits significantly easier.
The results
The changes have already delivered measurable results:
During peak granting periods, MaineCF now processes 350-450 donor-advised grants weekly without being overwhelmed.
ACH grant payments, donor notifications, and award letter generation are smoother and faster than ever before.
Teams are empowered with insights from unified data, enabling smarter decision making and better donor communication.
CONCLUSION
As MaineCF continues to explore Salesforce’s capabilities, the foundation is poised to unlock even greater potential. From enhancing donor relationships to automating more processes, the future is bright for MaineCF. The foundation now operates with greater transparency, efficiency, and confidence than ever before. And at the heart of it all is a unified system that empowers the team to focus on what matters most—making a difference for the communities they serve.