Youth Frontiers used Salesforce Salesforce PMM to connect retreat operations and donor tracking, reducing manual work, while Marketing Cloud improved engagement with their community.

Youth Frontiers (YF) provides experiences that inspire character, civility and community. The nonprofit offers student retreats focused on timeless values like kindness, courage and respect. YF also offers programming for educators, parents and community leaders to support the adults at the forefront of turning today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders. YF has reached more than 2 million people since its founding in 1987. Learn more at youthfrontiers.org

Since its founding in 1987, Youth Frontiers has been dedicated to inspiring character, civility, and community through transformative experiences. Central to this mission is fostering connections that promote curiosity, courage and respect among students, educators, parents, and community leaders. However, outdated systems and inefficiencies were limiting the organization’s ability to deliver on this mission.

Youth Frontiers managed its programming and retreat operations in FileMaker Pro (FMP) and initially tracked donor relationships in Raiser’s Edge before migrating their data into Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP). This fragmented approach led to duplicate data entry and prevented staff from gaining a holistic view of how donors and program participants engaged with the organization. FileMaker Pro, though heavily customized over the years, had become a legacy system that no longer supported evolving needs, such as supporting program renewal efforts.].

Retreat staff faced challenges accessing key data, often relying on Google Calendar for updates, which was effective for some purposes but limited as a broader operational tool. On the marketing side, the team’s use of iContact required time-consuming manual processes for email segmentation, list management, and reporting. This lack of automation and flexibility hindered their ability to efficiently scale outreach efforts and foster deeper connections with their audience. Youth Frontiers aimed to streamline operations and enhance their marketing capabilities to deliver a more seamless client experience.

To better serve their mission of inspiring character and building community, Youth Frontiers implemented Salesforce’s Program Management Module (PMM) and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot). These tools allowed the organization to centralize data, improve efficiency, and engage their audience more effectively.

For programming, PMM was customized to support the full lifecycle of retreats and programs, including managing attendees, staffing, and inventory. This unified system empowers the team to deliver retreats that focus on values like kindness, courage, and respect—values central to Youth Frontiers’ mission. Salesforce Opportunities were integrated to manage retreat sales, with automation linking annual pricing to programs and finance systems. Staff assignments were streamlined using a Screen Flow that ensured no double-bookings, and Salesforce Calendar provided a clear schedule for internal use. Retreat details, including location and participant information, were synced to a shared Google Calendar via Zapier, enabling retreat leaders to focus on inspiring character and building connections among students.

On the marketing side, Marketing Cloud Account Engagement transformed how Youth Frontiers communicates with its community. Automated workflows now allow the team to send personalized messages triggered by recipient behavior, such as email opens or clicks. Segmentation is dynamically updated based on Salesforce data, ensuring accuracy and relevance in their outreach. This functionality supports their goal of helping students, educators, and parents feel seen and valued—a cornerstone of their programs. Robust reporting capabilities provide actionable insights that inform and improve engagement strategies.

By joining their operations and marketing on a single platform, Youth Frontiers is better equipped to expand its impact and create deeper connections with its community. Staff now have a comprehensive view of donor relationships, program participation, and engagement metrics, giving them the insights to make data-driven decisions that drive their mission forward. The organization can track key metrics, such as total retreats attended or the date of the last retreat, to identify opportunities for deeper connections with their constituents.

Marketing processes have shifted from labor-intensive manual tasks to automated, dynamic communications that inspire and engage. Campaigns now reflect the organization’s core values by delivering timely, personalized messages that resonate with recipients. Real-time reporting and segmentation tools ensure their outreach remains impactful and relevant, building that connection within their community.

This system was also designed with growth in mind. Internal administrators can adapt and extend functionality to meet the organization’s evolving needs, ensuring Youth Frontiers can continue building communities rooted in character.

By embracing technology, Youth Frontiers has strengthened its ability to inspire character and build community. The implementation of Salesforce PMM and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement has not only tightened up operations but also allowed the organization to build a more meaningful connection with its constituents. Through this digital transformation, Youth Frontiers is advancing its mission to create communities where kindness, courage, and respect are not just values but lived experiences.