Significant Savijngs for One of America's Largest Charities

Significant Savings for One of America's Largest Charities
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. With headquarters in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapter offices located across the United States and Canada. Nearly 1 million volunteers from all walks of life give generously of their time and talents to implement LLS programs.

LLS purchases many millions of dollars annually in goods and services to support its administrative and fund-raising activities. Despite changes in the procurement organization in 2004, the charity's senior management team recognized that there was the opportunity for further efficiencies that would allow them to purchase print and related items more cost-effectively. In addition, the team believed that they could leverage technology better by engaging a more innovative and technically savvy supplier for the LLS fulfillment center, which plays a crucial role in the daily operation of the organization. Ultimately, these changes would enable them to decrease operating costs and funnel additional funds to their core mission.

Schnoll Media Consulting Brings Workflow Automation
Schnoll Media Consulting was brought in to evaluate LLS procedures for purchasing print, incentives and fulfillment services. After careful analysis, the Schnoll Media team worked with LLS staff members to revamp the entire procurement and fulfillment process. Schnoll Media helped the staff transition procurement, including fulfillment, to vendors that provided efficient and cost effective online purchasing processes and controls.

New, innovative online applications to enable chapter customization and were deployed. Digital Asset Management (DAM) was set up to facilitate the sharing of logos, advertising copy and other content. In some cases, print was not the best media for a particular type of communication, and that application was transitioned to an electronic alternative. In addition, the Schnoll team trained LLS staff members in techniques to purchase print and related items more effectively, including methods for achieving and leveraging buying power.

Today, all manual processes have been automated and taken online. LLS now has a very efficient fulfillment center. Quantities of inventoried materials can be viewed and controlled online. Premiums (e.g. tee shirts) are shipped on demand, directly from the premium vendor, eliminating hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory, some of it potentially obsolete.

Chapters now have complete control of the ordering process, all online. When chapter representatives need to order materials, they simply log onto the LLS intranet, select the appropriate product category, and they are automatically taken to a website for the approved vendor, branded for LLS. The intranet handles all fund-raising and educational materials, as well as stationery items such as business cards, letterhead, etc. All information is linked, so vendor information is transparent to chapters. Even the billing process has been automated. There is full integration with the complex LLS internal financial package, and chapters are re-billed automatically for materials ordered. The entire process is seamless for chapters.

Light the Night!
One specific example is the efficiencies gained by LLS's Light the Night program. The Light The Night Walk is LLS's nationwide evening walk to build awareness of blood cancers and raise funds for cures. Walkers carry illuminated balloons - white for survivors and red for supporters - to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by cancer. To prepare for a walk, chapter representatives can customize promotional materials such as brochures online, entering specific time, date and location information, uploading logos of sponsors, and adding other unique copy. Purchasers are given immediate information about cost and delivery date.

Light the Night participants may receive thank-you gifts in return for the donations that they earn for walking. The type of gift varies, depending on the level of donations. This entire process has been automated, streamlining communication between donors, walkers and behind-the-scenes administrators. Donations are tracked online and trigger generation of a personalized letter to the walker, informing that individual about what type of gift they earned and how to order it online.

Automating these processes has saved LLS hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, in addition to increasing the value to their chapter representatives and volunteers.

Education and Patient Services
Supporting patients and their families is an important part of the LLS mission. A huge library of information, in multiple languages, is available for these individuals. In addition, nurses and social workers staff an 800-number and are on call to help patients and families come to grips with the disease. Before Schnoll Media Consulting came on the scene, patients could only access the library by calling the 800 number. Staff members would complete a paper form indicating which information was relevant for a caller, and the materials would be manually picked, packed and mailed.

Today, nurses and social workers have access to an online form that they can complete while speaking to patients and loved ones. When submitted, information from the form is used to generate a personalized letter. A patient services coordinator also uses this information to combine that letter with literature appropriate for that patient, and the package is shipped.

Much of the literature is printed in large quantities and warehoused. However some materials, such as fact sheets, are updated frequently and are printed on demand so the information is always current. Literature and promotional items are also directly available to hospitals, doctors' offices and other individuals through the LLS website and e-store. These online and print-on-demand capabilities have created more production and procurement efficiencies for LLS and have lowered costs substantially.

Find out More!
Schnoll Media Consulting maintains an ongoing relationship with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, continuing to make suggestions to improve processes and enhance the value that LLS brings to patients suffering from leukemia and other diseases. Click here to learn more about how Schnoll Media Consulting saved millions of dollars annually for one of America's largest charities, and how the Schnoll team can assist your organization!