The online environment built by Helmes enables the ‘Gift of Life’ Cancer Treatment Foundation to process applications for support more smoothly and provides a more operational overview of the foundation’s work. People who require help can now easily submit and sign their applications online.

Since last year, we’ve been supporting the foundation with IT developments as a charity project. Many of the processes that were previously handled manually by the foundation have been automated with our support and other helpful applications and can now easily be submitted and signed online. This saves valuable time for both the team and the patients and helps those in need get the help they need faster. On average, the foundation receives one request for help every day from cancer patients whose treatment is not funded by the state. In the first seven months of this year, the foundation supported the cancer treatment of people to the value of more than €1.8 million. All of this was covered by donations from kind-hearted people.

As the management of applications and the foundation’s financial resources have grown significantly, Helmes and the ‘Gift of Life’ started to work together to make the foundation’s work processes smoother, more modern and more efficient and the application process for cancer patients easier. The entire workflow is clearer, more manageable and more convenient for all users of the system – the foundation’s management, its supervisory board members and accountants – at every stage. The provision of statistical summaries of the foundation’s archives, which have built up over more than eight years of operations, has improved significantly.  

“Firstly, we moved the application process online and replaced it with a simpler and more modern solution,” explained Helmes project manager Jaanus Riiner. “Secondly, the system we have created will help the foundation better manage its financial resources and keep track more easily of how much of the money it has raised in donations has already been used, how many applications have been made for the payment of medical bills and how many have been approved.”

According to Toivo Tänavsuu, the founder of the foundation, its workload has grown rapidly over the years, which is why the need for a better IT tool arose a few years ago. “Helmes was ready to help us pro bono, first to come up with the right solution for us and then to implement it,” he said. “This was not an easy task at all. Because of the work of the foundation, we basically had to reinvent the wheel. The project was complicated and extensive. So it’s really quite remarkable and worthy of great recognition that Helmes itself covered the development costs and thus made a major contribution to our mission of gifting people life. All in all, the company gave the foundation a gift worth around €40,000.” According to Tänavsuu, the system, which was developed specifically to meet the foundation’s needs, will also be able to be used in other countries when the ‘Gift of Life’ expands its operations.

Deniss Ojastu, Partner and Head of Business Area at Helmes, said: “Public health is one of the areas to which Helmes, as a company, wants to contribute more in order to give back to society. Our act of charity is not about handing out money, but about helping through meaningful collaboration on what we do best – how to make work more people-centred and efficient with digital solutions. A long-term software project requires a much greater commitment, but the results are worth it. For pro bono projects, we look for partners who have a significant influence and a strategic view in their field. The Cancer Treatment Foundation is undoubtedly just such a partner, with a strong vision and extensive influence. We’re pleased that we can help so many people together. The project has also been very inspiring for our staff.”