DATRI: Solving Donors' Dilemma for Saving Lives

Datri Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry (DATRI), a not-for-profit social venture established in 2009 with 3,000 donors, was India’s largest stem cell donor registry. Since 2009, it had expanded until its donor base was over 267,000. While DATRI continued to work towards its vision to find a matching donor for every patient in need of life-saving stem cells, its dependence on voluntary donations was causing some pressing issues. Donors who voluntarily enrolled in the registry were backing out of the process when contacted for a transplant, and the organization was also facing fundraising difficulties. DATRI's co-founder and chief executive officer felt that not addressing these issues soon would undermine the organization’s purpose. In May 2017, he was preparing for a meeting with his team to finalize a future plan of action that would solve these problems.

The case is suitable for undergraduate and graduate-level students pursuing business programs and for senior management professionals participating in executive education programs. It will fit well into a social entrepreneurship course. The case could be used to discuss concepts related to not-for-profit firms, incentive systems in voluntary settings, strategy implementation, and performance management. After completing the case, students should be able to<ul><li>explain the issues faced by a not-for-profit organization that operates predominantly through voluntary participation by different stakeholders;</li><li>identify the challenges a not-for-profit organization faces when attempting to sustain the performance of a social venture to benefit society;</li><li> evaluate concepts of social entrepreneurship in the context of emerging markets;</li><li>describe the concept of social entrepreneurship as it relates to implementing new business strategies that allow entrepreneurs to create value by providing solutions to social problems; and</li><li>explain how a non-profit social venture coordinates with different stakeholders to help patients suffering from life-threatening disorders.</li></ul>

• Social entrepreneurship, Not-for-profit