How Zeffy helped the Pan-American Medical Association raise over $10K, fee-free, for medical supplies.

The Pan-American Medical Association (or PAMA) provides resources, medical supplies, and otherwise, to underserved communities across the Americas and the Caribbean. They’re helping shore up continuing gaps in the medical supply infrastructure. 

At the Pan-American Medical Association, we are committed to empowering medical professionals to improve their communities by bridging healthcare disparities across the Americas and the Caribbean. Our mission extends beyond medical care; it is about fostering a network of dedicated healthcare providers who are equipped with the knowledge, resources, and support needed to serve underserved populations effectively. Together, we can create a future where healthcare disparities are a thing of the past and every community can thrive. - Pan American Medical Association

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Background

Uriel Ramirez worked as an EMT for years in the United States before embarking on a journey to study medicine in Cuba. He saw a disconnect between the expertise of the doctors he studied with and the sheer need for resources in many Caribbean and Latin American medical facilities. In 2023, he set out to help fill those gaps. “We focus on connecting vulnerable communities to vital medical resources and education that they may not otherwise access,” he says.

Recently, that meant delivering over half a million dollars worth of critical medical supplies to Cuba, which is still facing post-pandemic shortages.

“By focusing on underserved regions, we ensure that communities in crisis have access to life-saving medications and equipment,” Uriel says. 

But PAMA does more than just deliver supplies, shake a few hands, and go home. They’re engaged in education, research, and advocacy programs across countries. One such initiative is “Empowered to Act,” which engages in harm reduction practices like providing naloxone to help people survive opioid overdoses. “These initiatives emphasize education, accessibility, and systemic barrier reduction to empower vulnerable communities with knowledge and resources,” Uriel says. 

To make this impact sustainable, PAMA builds networks of healthcare providers and helps build the skills and resources they need to serve their communities. They hold workshops on harm reduction, patient-centered care, and addressing stigma in healthcare to help build a stronger medical response on all levels. PAMA’s research collects data on the communities their doctors serve, helping identify gaps in healthcare access and build foundations for advocacy. They look at everything from discrimination in medical settings to the effect of the lack of resources and health literacy on the part of those who need medical care. 

“Education and harm reduction initiatives enable individuals to make informed decisions about their health, fostering self-sufficiency and better long-term outcomes,” Uriel says.

It’s no surprise that medical care is expensive all around. Uriel began fundraising through PayPal and GoFundMe, but he quickly became frustrated with the standard set of fees.

“For the most part, the fees are outrageous for a non-profit,” Uriel says. 

Every dollar in PayPal and GoFundMe fees cuts into the number of medical supplies and trainings PAMA could provide to underserved communities. The hundreds of dollars spent on fees could have provided life-saving harm reduction tools like naloxone, giving someone in need another chance to get healthy. As a former EMTand now a doctor, Uriel knows the difference that just one dose of naloxone can make in a crisis situation. 

And then, of course, there’s the expense of getting the donations to Cuba in addition to the outright cost of the medications and supplies. Shipping, customs, and delivery are expensive undertakings when you’re sending sensitive materials internationally. So the PayPal and GoFundMe fees placed on the front-end donations hit every step of PAMA’s attempts to save lives.

On top of everything else, the PayPal and GoFundMe fees raised some donors' eyebrows. When people see that a high percentage of their contributions is whittled away by fees, those high fees can erode donor trust.

(The work PAMA does is unique, but their struggles with PayPal and GoFundMe, unfortunately, are not. We’ve made comparing the two as easy as we can, but let us know if you have any more questions.)

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Curious how Zeffy stacks up against other platforms?

We broke down the key differences between Zeffy and PayPal, and GoFundMe — from fees to features to donor experience.

A simple Instagram ad changed Uriel’s entire process. 

“I first came across Zeffy through an Instagram advertisement, which immediately caught my attention,” Uriel says. "The highlight of the ad was Zeffy’s 0% fees, a standout feature that felt like a game-changer.”

He didn’t need any more convincing. Zeffy was exactly what he was looking for. This was a service he felt he could trust with his mission and his donors’ generosity. 

“The ad’s simplicity and clarity made the message resonate—it wasn’t just a service but a way to amplify the impact of our mission,” Uriel says. “That initial intrigue quickly turned into action, and I couldn’t be more grateful for how it enabled us to stretch every dollar further.”

Zeffy immediately streamlined Uriel’s work and built a firmer foundation for PAMA to reduce care gaps across the Caribbean and the Americas. They were able to get thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies to a hospital in Cuba that was still suffering shortages after COVID-19, and every cent went to purchasing and delivering those supplies. 

“Fees can be a significant challenge for nonprofits like the Pan-American Medical Association, where every dollar is vital to fulfilling our mission,” Uriel says. “Using Zeffy’s fee-free platform was pivotal in our recent campaign to deliver $10,000 worth of painkillers to Cuba, addressing urgent medication shortages in underserved communities following the pandemic.”

Since his initial fundraising efforts on Zeffy, Uriel has successfully implemented plenty of other features the platform offers. He loved that each campaign’s landing page was easy to build, launch, and manage, so Uriel could focus on “the impact of the campaign itself rather than the logistics of managing it.” And Zeffy’s emailing tools gave Uriel a better grasp of how his campaigns were going once they were launched. 

“I found Zeffy’s system for managing donor contacts and sending targeted emails incredibly easy to use,” he says. “The ability to track whether recipients opened emails or responded to reminders allowed me to engage with donors more effectively. It gave me insights into their activity, which helped optimize our outreach and maintain strong communication throughout the campaign.”

Overall, Zeffy has expanded the impact PAMA is able to make on every possible level. 

“Zeffy’s cost-effective platform empowered us to turn limited resources into tangible results, making meaningful strides in addressing healthcare disparities on a global scale,” Uriel says.