Case Study: Direct Relief achieves rapid, transparent emergency fundraising and honors donor intent with Blackbaud

Direct Relief - Customer Case Study

Direct Relief, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization responding to disasters since 1948, faced unprecedented global demand when COVID‑19 emerged—managing multiple simultaneous responses while handling a surge in donations and high‑profile online fundraisers such as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ 12‑hour Team Love Dance‑A‑Thon. The organization needed to scale digital fundraising quickly, track complex gift designations, and provide transparency to donors during a volatile giving environment.

Using Blackbaud’s cloud solutions—principally Luminate Online and Raiser’s Edge NXT—Direct Relief rapidly created celebrity donation landing pages, integrated offline gifts (including a $2M donation from Jack Dorsey), and tracked donor intent precisely across campaigns. The technology proved robust and scalable: Diddy’s Dance‑A‑Thon raised more than $3.7M, the team maintained transparency and donor confidence, and Direct Relief replicated the approach for additional celebrity-led fundraisers.

Direct Relief

Heather Bennet

Vice President Partnerships & Philanthrophy