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Muscular Dystrophy Association Wins 2020 Constellation SuperNova Award
Recognized in Tech Optimization and Modernization Category for Impactful Digital Initiative
New York, NY – Wednesday, October, 28, 2020— The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) today announced it was named a winner of the tenth annual Constellation SuperNova Awards. This prestigious program recognizes teams who are building innovative and disruptive programs to create measurable business value and digital transformation. The Muscular Dystrophy Association won in the Tech Optimization and Modernization Category for Impactful Digital Initiative.
"We congratulate Michael Kennedy and his team on a dramatic transformation of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s operations with next-generation enterprise applications and cloud technology," said Doug Henschen, principal analyst at Constellation Research. "They have raised the bar as an efficient and effective charity that is making the most of every dollar donated to serving its mission."
As digital transformation evolves across industries and geographies, organizations must make deeper investments to create real impact. This prestigious program recognizes teams and leaders for their innovative application of disruptive technology and transformative initiatives.
Muscular Dystrophy Association Wins 2020 Constellation SuperNova Award
The MDA is known worldwide as the largest and most impactful voluntary health organization dedicated to funding medical care, research, and advocacy for over 300,000 people in the United States living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases.
“On behalf of all of us at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, we are so honored to have been selected as the winner of the Constellation SuperNova Award in Tech Optimization and Modernization Category for Impactful Digital Initiative,” said Michael J. Kennedy, EVP, Chief Financial Officer, MDA. “Working collaboratively with FinancialForce has allowed us to deliver our mission more efficiently and effectively, for the hundreds of thousands living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases, and their families.”
In partnership with FinancialForce, the MDA was able to create an easy to use front facing menu by which field staff could select items for purchase, request services, and log donation deposits that had come through the individual district. With this streamlined front office data capture, MDA was able to create Central Service Centers for, procurement, vendor payments and accounting. Additionally, MDA now had detailed information on all fundraising and cost activities, to help influence organizational decision-making. The efficiency created by this streamlined processing methodology has saved the MDA millions of operational dollars and thousands of administrative hours annually, which have since removed administrative burden from the fundraising teams, and allowed more dollars to be dedicated to the mission.
"Congratulations to Mike Kennedy and MDA on winning the prestigious SuperNova Award! MDA is a great example of how an organization can optimize operations and cut costs through digital transformation, and we are honored that they have chosen FinancialForce for that journey. This year's SuperNova awards have put mission-critical projects front and center, and MDA shows how an organization can introduce cost savings that allow it to deliver on its mission, even in these unpredictable and unprecedented times," said Tod Nielsen, President & Chief Executive Officer, FinancialForce.
The 2020 SuperNova Award winners were selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants. This year’s winners represent individuals, teams and organizations who have overcome significant hurdles amidst a pandemic and post-pandemic environment. They have demonstrated excellence in responding to disruptive forces, implemented novel initiatives, and proved results with the technical prowess needed for reinventing modern organizations.
As the global premier business transformation recognition event, teams around the world submit their entries in front of 50 critical judges from analysts, influencers, media, and industry experts, in addition to public polling.
“The SuperNova Awards have never been more competitive. Amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic, these teams have persevered in delivering critical and often significant transformation for their stakeholders,” said R “Ray” Wang, chairman and founder of Constellation Research. “Winners not only showed a penchant for change, they also won the hearts and minds of the public vote”
"At Constellation Research we focus on pioneers and innovators, and we share what we learn with organizations that want to become fast followers," said Doug Henschen, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Constellation Research. "The SuperNova Awards not only put a spotlight on success, each year they become a catalyst for our research and source of inspiration for those aspiring to transform and differentiate their organizations."
The winners were announced at the SuperNova Awards gala at Constellation’s Virtual Connected Enterprise. For more information, visit https://www.constellationr.com/about-supernova-awards/supernova-awards-2020.
About the Muscular Dystrophy Association
For 70 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been committed to transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA's MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best-in-class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. MDA Advocacy supports equal access for our community, and each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDA continues to produce virtual events and programming to support our community when in-person events and activities are not possible. MDA’s COVID-19 guidelines and virtual events are posted at mda.org/COVID19. For more information, visit mda.org.
About Constellation Research
Constellation Research is a technology research and advisory firm based in Silicon Valley. We deliver strategic guidance to companies seeking to transform their businesses through the early adoption of disruptive technology. Our analysts draw on their experiences as practitioners to deliver pragmatic advice to CXOs leading digital transformation within their organizations. Clients include board of directors, C-suite executives, line-of-business leaders, and IT visionaries who are not afraid to challenge the status quo. Our mission is to conduct research on emerging technologies, identify and validate trends, and empower our clients to succeed in the digital economy. Constellation Research also hosts DisrupTV, a show hosted by our founder R “Ray” Wang, which features disruptive leaders and reaches 40k+ viewers each week.
Global Press Contacts:
Mary Fiance, Director, Public Relations
Muscular Dystrophy Association
press@mdausa.org
Elle Froze
Marketing Manager
Press@Constellationr.com
