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Service and Servers: How a South Carolina Based Data Center is Helping AidJoy Make a Difference Around the World

AidJoy

Almost all charities face the challenge of having a worthwhile goal and limited resources to achieve it. They need to raise money in order to make positive change, but they can’t effectively raise money without spending on marketing and public relations. This is where AidJoy comes in to help. AidJoy is a Greenville SC, based nonprofit organization focusing on delivering high-quality multimedia journalism, web-based technology and public relations to charities who have committed to solving dire problems in the world.

AidJoy’s CEO, Jonathan Shanin, explains “AidJoy’s partner charities are driven to solve the world’s most dire problems. Unfortunately, they struggle with daily crises without the means to achieve their overall mission. For these charities to succeed, the global community must be aware that there is a problem and become part of the solution.” Essentially, AidJoy provides organizations with the tools they need to realize their solution to its highest potential.

The Importance of a Server

As media experts, AidJoy knows the importance of having a website that is always available and never compromised. “Our website is fundamental to our project,” shares Shanin. “If our site were down, it would take away from the legitimacy of our organizations and take away from what we are trying to accomplish.”

As a nonprofit, hosting a complex website has to be affordable. To help AidJoy achieve their worthwhile mission Immedion, a Greenville SC, based data center services provider agreed to host the AidJoy site on their virtual platform for free. “Without a consistent server, we can’t share these stories and the mission is lost,” states Shanin. “The server is the foundation of everything we build upon. We’re an extremely feel-good organization rooted in technology.”

At no cost, Immedion provides AidJoy with a level of infrastructure they would have a hard time justifying paying for at this moment, but hope to need in the future. “The long term plan is to grow and host a lot of websites,” shares Shanin. “Immedion is able to provide us with something extremely valuable for free.” Instead of having to move server providers or purchase extra bandwidth in anticipation of growth, Immedion relieves AidJoy of having to worry about this. “As the sites get more complex and need more bandwidth, Immedion is an ideal partner to help position us as we fall into our own and in their generosity, Immedion is a large part of the solution we’re striving for,” comments Shanin.

As AidJoy grows and garners more recognition for their work they will get a lot more traffic to their site. In 2009 they were highlighted in a USA Today feature article. The nationally syndicated article drove a lot of traffic to their site and helped them generate a lot of buzz. Because their site is hosted by Immedion, the explosion in traffic didn’t disrupt their website. They never experienced any down time as a result.

A Valued Partnership

By partnering with individuals and organizations who are willing to donate their expertise, time, and services, AidJoy is able to focus on their core mission. The best thing about working with Immedion according to AidJoy’s Director of Technology, Jim Ciallella is “we don’t have to think about it. We have our business goals to accomplish, we’re out there trying to make a substantial difference in the world and we don’t have to worry about our site. Plus, Immedion has never treated us like we aren’t a paying customer. It’s nice to be provided with pro bono services, yet still be treated as well as a large corporation paying for these services would be,” comments Ciallella.

AidJoy in Action

One of AidJoy’s current ventures is with Project Amazonas, an organization dedicated to solving the healthcare crisis in the Peruvian rainforest. Comprising of an area the size of Germany, the Peruvian rainforest is home to over a million people. There are very few health care centers in the region and to reach these centers can take a person days or weeks. By outfitting boats as floating hospitals, health workers are better able to reach individuals in need. Every hospital boat launched will provide comprehensive health care to approximately twenty-four thousand people annually. AidJoy provides Project Amazonas with the training, technology, media, and marketing they need to raise awareness and funding for the problems they have been dedicated to helping since 1994.

Shanin sees AidJoy as part of a much broader picture. “On our last trip down to the Amazon we helped save a little girls life. Our work helped outfit the floating hospital that saved her, but ultimately AidJoy is designed to help save her entire village,” remarks Shanin. “We’re working on a macro level to help the most needed and unsung charities.”