RDA Equestrian Therapy Centre provides therapeutic horse related activities for children and adults with physical, mental, cognitive, social or behavioural needs. This includes horse riding, horsemanship and vocational skills. Clients range in age from 3 to 65.

Tauranga RDA has expanded rapidly in the last eighteen months, and like many not-for-profit organizations they are dependent on part-time staff and volunteers; many who have limited software and computer experience. 

That said - it is the adoption of modern technologies that will enable RDA Tauranga to keep pace with demand, remain relevant, and sadly; compete effectively for increasingly scare monetary resources.  

Tauranga RDA engages with their community to support the growth, confidence, independence and the development of self esteem for individuals in need. Critical to effective engagement with their community are their high quality communications.  To maintain this high quality, Katharine Birks, RDA Tauranga's Fundraising Manager believes it is critical that the tools they give those part time and volunteer staff to use remain user friendly.

After availing of their Microsoft software donation through TechSoup New Zealand, RDA Tauranga now have the software they need to effectively communicate with their 350 riders, 85 volunteers and their many supporters and donors. It has enabled them to easily create and monitor donor data bases - and it has increased the efficiency and the quality of their communications collateral; which has greatly increased their visibility in the community.

But most importantly, Katharine believes that "the 'user friendly' Microsoft software has allowed staff members to not only create communications,  data bases and input data with ease - it has given them the confidence to delegate tasks to our volunteer force for updating or processing with confidence - because it isn't so complicated that it might result in elimination and or corruption of data."

Riding for the Disabled in Tauranga cannot imagine life without their up to date Microsoft Software.

"We are very appreciative of Microsoft's generosity and assistance by making it available to us." said Katharine.