When growing, building or upgrading infrastructure, non-profit organisations have a
complicated path to traverse. They need to be forward-thinking while remaining
fiscally responsible. Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), a public charity in Dallas
that connects individuals, families and companies to nonprofits solving community
needs, carefully considered this challenge when it recently upgraded its community
room AV system with two stunning NanoLumens® ENGAGE Series™ LED displays.

According to the foundation’s Facilities and Events Manager Lisa Causey, the
community room is a major component of CFT’s operations and is available for
nonprofit organisations funded by the organisation to utilise for mission-centered
events Monday to Friday.

“Our community room hosts hundreds of non-profit planning events, donor
appreciation days and retreats each year that attracts upwards of 20,000 people
annually, so it needs to be modern, attractive, and simple to use,’ Causey said. “Our
previous projection system was adequate, but the utilized old technology that was no
longer supported. We needed something modern and reliable, and preferably a
technology that provided a high-quality visual impact.’

After recognising internal consensus that the community room’s tech could use an
overhaul, CFT researched all the options, from multi-panel video walls to massive,
expensive single panel displays. After extensive discussion, review, cost analysis and
benefit analysis, they determined two NanoLumens ENGAGE Series™ LED displays
were the ideal solution to provide a captivatingly bright, crisp, high-definition video
system that would create a positive impact with employees, guests and donors for
years to come. Each of the 6.5’ x 11.2’, 2.5 mm pixel pitch displays provide a brilliant
canvas for presenters to display any necessary graphics, photos, videos or other
visuals at a 16:9 aspect ratio, which maximises the space’s utility. The previous
projection screens were older 4:3 models, which often meant there was wasted
screen real estate now that 16:9 HD content is the norm.

“One of our goals was to make this a vibrant upgrade without being ostentatious
about it,’ Causey added,.We know upgrading to the NanoLumens displays will help us
and our nonprofit partners more effectively communicate their missions which is
critical. It’s a value purchase that we expect will pay huge dividends to our more than
6,000 charity recipients over the long life of the displays. That’s also why the six-year,
down-to-the-pixel warranty was so important to us, adding a sense of security and
value to the purchase.’

Between the warranty and the innovative front-serviceable, Nixel-based design, if any
part of the display should have an issue, it can be quickly remedied by replacing the
affected 6′ x 12′ Nixel, eliminating the need for rear-access or full display
replacement, and drastically cutting down on maintenance time. CFT also said the fact
that NanoLumens is a proud American tech company with manufacturing in Norcross,
Georgia, was a positive factor in its purchasing decision. Another influencing factor
was how simple the displays and new system are to use for non-technical employees
and presenters.

“One of the best things about the new system is how user-friendly it is,’ Causey
continued. “It’s truly plug-and-play, which we need because the people using it most
often are not technology professionals, and we don’t have an AV person on staff. The
upgrade from VGA to HDMI is a big change and allows us to offer non-profit guests
and employees much simpler access through multiple HDMI ports throughout the
room. This way presenters can choose who controls the video feed – the presenter can
operate it from the stage or delegate to a teammate sitting somewhere else in the
room. Through the connected Crestron system there is also no selecting sources or
fiddling with menus, we simply plug into one of the HDMI inputs and the desired
image instantly appears on the displays. Whether both displays are presenting the
same feed or showing different images or videos, it couldn’t be simpler.’

The first major celebration in the room will be for 2017 North Texas Giving Day on
Thursday, September 14, which has grown to be the world’s largest single-day online
giving event since its inception in 2009. The 18-hour event encourages individuals and
corporations from all over the world to donate online and has raised more than $156
million for more than 2,500 local North Texas nonprofits over the last eight years.
Most donations are garnered at www.NorthTexasGivingDay.org, and CFT and local
organisations also host in-person donation stations for the day.

“Over the coming years we anticipate greater interest in our facility thanks to the
stunning NanoLumens displays,’ Causey concluded. “There is nothing we won’t do to
aid our mission to help raise critical funds for organisations delivering needed services
to people throughout Texas and all over the country and the world. Leveraging
innovative technologies for attractiveness and utility to raise more funds is a core
reality for non-profits in the 21st century, and NanoLumens has helped us to move
into this new age.’