Diakonie RWL distributes €45M in disaster relief, accelerates impact with Dynamics 365

For Diakonie Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe (RWL), one of Germany’s largest nonprofit social service providers, the mission is clear: to serve vulnerable communities through modern, compassionate care. With over 250 employees and a network representing nearly 300,000 people, Diakonie RWL supports a vast network of institutions including hospitals, kindergartens, and elderly care facilities. Its mandate stretches from local advocacy to national policy influence—all anchored in service.

In 2016, following the merger of four distinct regional associations, Diakonie RWL faced a major operational challenge. Each legacy organization had its own systems, databases, and procedures. Disconnected software and paper-based workflows made it difficult to communicate across departments, track member contributions, or manage disaster relief funding at scale.

“We were dealing with multiple data silos and different ways of doing everything,” says Benjamin Sassenrath, Membership Administrator at Diakonie RWL. “If you wanted to understand a member’s history, you had to hunt through paper files, spreadsheets, and personal notes.”

Even basic collaboration was hindered by outdated technology. Staff members were operating in isolation, unaware of what other teams were doing. The lack of a unified system slowed services, limited insight, and undermined the very mission of collective care. 

Centralizing data and systems to serve better

To unify its operations and empower its staff, Diakonie RWL selected Microsoft Dynamics 365, building a modular, adaptable system tailored to their unique needs. With guidance from long-standing technology partner DIGITALL in Germany, the organization implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Insights along with Power Pages and Power Apps in about a year, with business process digitation ongoing. 

From the beginning, the vision was ambitious: a flexible platform to support internal workflows, improve transparency, and facilitate meaningful engagement with member organizations. Unlike off-the-shelf solutions that were overly complex or ill-fitting, Karl-Heinz Stenhorst, Head of IT and Organization at Diakonie RWL says Dynamics 365 offered a customizable toolkit the Diakonie RWL team could shape over time.

“We didn’t want to be locked into a rigid system,” says Stenhorst. “With Dynamics, we can adapt as we go—adding features without having to rewrite the whole plan.”

At the heart of the initiative is a centralized member database. Teams can now conduct annual surveys, track contributions, and generate detailed reports using the same consistent data. A new portal built with Power Pages enables members to access and update their records at any time. Diakonie RWL used Power Apps to build custom applications tailored to its specific needs, including features for member onboarding, data entry, and reporting. Power Apps was foundational in the replacement of paper-based forms and manual processes with digital solutions, streamlining workflows and improving efficiency,

“We can now do things we only dreamed of before,” says Kirsten Schwenke, Board Member at Diakonie RWL. 

Fundraising at speed 

Nowhere was the impact of the new system more visible than in Diakonie RWL’s rapid response to a historic flood in Germany that left over 150 people dead. Within a month of the tragic event, the organization built and launched a fully digital donation and distribution workflow using Microsoft Dynamics 365. With Customer Insights powering a multichannel marketing campaign, Daikonie RWL raised more relief money, faster than in any previous fundraising effort.  

“We raised more than €45 million,” says Ulrich Christenn, Fundraising Lead at Diakonie RWL. “With Dynamics, we didn’t just collect the money—we could distribute it transparently, safely, and fast.” 

The workflow enabled applicants, administrators, and member organizations to collaborate through a transparent, three-tiered system. Applicants submitted claims online, and staff and member institutions verified them in real time. In most cases, approved applicants received aid within two weeks—an unprecedented speed for a process that had previously taken months and required paper-based applications. 

“It was one of the most modern, fully digital aid systems in Germany,” says Christenn. “Other NGOs were still using paper. We were using tablets in the field.” 

Internally, Diakonie RWL’s shift to Dynamics 365 also revolutionized how teams worked together. Staff now access shared dashboards, track contributions, and update member information in real time. When board members visit local institutions, they no longer rely on guesswork—they consult the Dynamics 365 system for a full view of that organization’s relationship, funding history, and needs. 

“What used to be eight binders of specifications is now a living system we shape to serve our people better,” says Stenhorst. 

The changes also extend to everyday operations. Sassenrath shares how the annual data collection process used to involve printing, mailing, and manually entering data from stacks of returned forms. Today, members log into a secure portal and submit updates directly. What once took weeks now takes minutes, “My work used to involve shelves full of binders,” Sassenrath says. “Now it’s completely paperless.”

Helping even more people

As Diakonie RWL continues to grow, it is building what it calls a Content Hub—a centralized digital library of internal knowledge, political contacts, policy positions, and more. It’s designed not just to store information, but to empower members to access and apply it. The organization is also currently investigating where AI agents could further support its teams. Schwenke sees this as essential to the organization’s future. “We’re moving from delivering answers to helping our members find what they need. That shift changes everything.” 

From enabling rapid disaster relief to digitizing negotiations in elderly care compensation, Diakonie RWL is now equipped to respond quickly and intelligently to new challenges. Staff submit real-time data updates that improve service. Members feel seen, heard, and supported. And leadership has a clear, actionable view of how the organization is performing—every day. “Our data quality has improved dramatically,” says Sassenrath. “That gives us confidence in every decision we make.”

Christenn agrees and says the impact is also personal, “My vision is that technology requires so little of our energy that we can spend all our energy helping people. That’s the goal—and now we’re closer than ever.”

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