ChildFund International Selects Merkle Response Management Group as Donation Processing Partner

HAGERSTOWN, Md., Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merkle Response Management Group (Merkle RMG), a subsidiary of Merkle, a leading technology-enabled, data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company, has been chosen by ChildFund International to manage the nonprofit's direct mail donation processing and exception services. ChildFund is a child-focused community development organization that works to diminish the impacts of poverty on children in 24 countries.

In early 2022, ChildFund sought a new strategic partner to oversee its donation processing operation. Processing its donations efficiently is a critical priority for the organization, which relies on donor gifts to fund its global programs. These programs are designed to connect children with the resources they need to grow up healthy, educated and safe—including nutritious food, clean water, health care, educational support and protection in their communities.

Sassan Parandeh, treasurer at ChildFund, cited Merkle RMG's capacity, security, flexibility, service quality and industry reputation as key factors in the nonprofit's decision to enter the engagement.

"ChildFund needed a partner that could handle large volumes of remittances, manage complex responses and work seamlessly with our Salesforce and banking platforms — all while maintaining a high level of quality," Parandeh said. "What set Merkle RMG apart was its ISO quality rating, immense capacity, strong security and PCI compliance, and ability to integrate. Additionally, we were encouraged by the stellar reviews we'd heard from our industry allies."

Merkle RMG's support includes handling non-standard responses, entering new donors from ChildFund's mail acquisition campaign and creating scanlines that automate ChildFund's donation processing. Parandeh noted that Merkle's ability to automate and handle exceptions enables ChildFund to serve children and families more readily.

"The more we can automate and ensure that donations are processed efficiently and accurately, the more attention we can devote to meeting the critical needs of children worldwide," Parandeh said.

Merkle RMG President Kent Grove said he welcomes this opportunity to enhance ChildFund's operations so it can execute more quickly on its mission.

"Merkle RMG is proud to partner with an organization that has such a profound global impact," Grove said. "We're committed to providing exceptional donation processing support that allows ChildFund to quickly and securely receive donor gifts, so it can channel those funds more urgently to where they're needed most."

Prior to the engagement, ChildFund's previous vendor had discontinued its services, requiring the nonprofit to find a new partner and implement quickly. Merkle RMG successfully transitioned ChildFund within 120 days—a process that typically takes a year at most organizations.

Parandeh praised Merkle RMG's implementation team for a fast and personalized onboarding experience.

"All transitions of this scale require lots of fine tuning," Parandeh said. "But Merkle RMG's implementation team was dedicated to our success at every step. They understood our nuanced needs and communicated frequently and proactively to ensure a smooth, efficient transition."

The two organizations are approaching their engagement in strategic phases. Following a thoughtful and systematic onboarding, Merkle RMG is now working with ChildFund to optimize its core donation processing services before introducing additional services.

"Perfecting these core services now sets a solid foundation for future projects," Grove said. "Most immediately, our goal is to help ChildFund reach key milestones for speed, accuracy and quality in its donation processing. Later, we hope to build on that progress with other strategic improvements. Given Merkle RMG's range of service offerings, we see huge potential to support other areas of ChildFund's program. We look forward to exploring those opportunities together as our engagement evolves."

Merkle Response Management Group (RMG) is a processing, data, and technology-driven company. By combining best-in-class direct-response processing, customer care, and fulfillment solutions with actionable data insights, Merkle RMG drives one-to-one relationships for an improved donor and customer experience that increases retention and revenue. Applying best practices learned during 39 years in business, the company employs a high-tech/high-touch approach that helps minimize costs while ensuring a high level of donor and customer satisfaction through fast, accurate, secure, and responsive service that is tailored to each client's requirements and strategic objectives. Merkle RMG serves more than 200 clients in the nonprofit, government, and commercial markets. For more information about Merkle RMG, please visit www.merkleresponse.com, or follow us on Twitter @MerkleRMG.

Merkle, a dentsu company, is a leading data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The company's heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive hyper-personalized marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in consulting, creative, media, analytics, data, identity, CX/commerce, technology, and loyalty & promotions drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With more than 14,000 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkle.com.

Founded in 1938, ChildFund works throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas — including the United States — to connect children with what they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, no matter where they are. In 2021, the organization reached 16.2 million children and family members in 24 countries. About 200,000 Americans support ChildFund's work by sponsoring individual children or investing in ChildFund programs. Find out more at https://www.childfund.org.

SOURCE Merkle