Skilled volunteers create a thorough technology plan, empowering nonprofit staff to focus on their mission of ensuring financial stability for more people in underserved communities
G.A.I.N. – Powered by Lowe’s
Urban League of Central Carolinas’ (ULCC) mission is to empower the community to reach financial stability and social justice in a global economy through education, training, placement, and entrepreneurship. ULCC advocates for and equips all underserved communities with the tools to achieve social and economic equality.
Apparo’s G.A.I.N. (Growth, Agility, and Innovation for Nonprofits) Grant Program provides nonprofit participants with the tools, training, and other support they need to implement and sustain their technology and process improvements. G.A.I.N. delivers a one-year journey of technology and process improvement to a cohort of nonprofits to help them overcome their technology challenges and amplify their nonprofit impact. The G.A.I.N. program is generously sponsored by Lowe’s.
Urban League was experiencing pain points around WiFi systems, security, antiquated technology, and inefficient processes. The organization applied for the G.A.I.N. Program seeking support in identifying the right software and support systems to meet their needs. Without a trained IT staff member, they knew processes could be improved, but were unsure how to identify the issues and the best strategy for resolving them. ULCC wanted to be more strategic in their processes and decision-making rather than reactive. Apparo and skilled corporate volunteers worked alongside the organization to assess technology and business processes, supporting ULCC in gaining a comprehensive understanding of their needs and potential solutions– the ULCC team shares, “The results of Apparo’s maturity model spoke volumes. We realized how many replications of systems we had, printers we have and don’t need, outdated phone systems, data management, and security processes that need to be updated. We needed clarity in these areas and the volunteers really helped us get that.”
Comprehensive Tech Plan Empowers Bolstered Nonprofit Efficiencies by 50-75%
Through Apparo’s G.A.I.N. program, the organization was backed by the support of CapTech volunteers and a CCP Tech mentor. Volunteers thoroughly assessed needs to create recommendations that will increase security and service on WiFi servers, update their phone and printing systems, and streamline processes through a new software platform. The organization anticipates several valuable efficiencies through implementing a streamlined software system, including bolstering their ability to reach and communicate with constituents and improve reporting abilities, which allows ULCC to confidently apply for grants and other revenue opportunities. Natalie Williams, ULCC Chief Operating Officer shares, “If we can implement one-third of the recommendations from the volunteers, we could improve our efficiencies by 50-75%. Ultimately, our clients benefit the most from our team becoming more efficient.”
With these recommendations, the team feels confident their data is more secure, decreasing many cybersecurity risks. ULCC Chief of Staff, Carolyn Coles, emphasized the importance of having new tech processes, tools, and cybersecurity training for their team, which will save over 150 hours annually per ULCC staff member, “Better technology and better-trained team members will help us work more efficiently. We will be working smarter, not harder.“ With freed time, staff will have increased capacity and an improved ability to focus on their programming. Additionally, the organization anticipates significant cost savings. Costs will be reduced by updating phone systems, reducing the amount of printers, paper, ink, and other related supplies, and implementing a more affordable building security system.
Importantly, making empowered decisions about processes and programming brought ULCC comfort. Natalie Williams adds, “This program with Apparo has been absolutely phenomenal. The fact that we can say “Apparo said we should do this” adds more weight to our confidence in our decisions. Bill [Hammelman, volunteer] has helped us so much with additional security recommendations and we’re excited about the changes we plan to make to benefit our mission to empower strong, sustainable communities.” Carolyn similarly shared a positive experience working with their G.A.I.N. mentor, Bill Hammelman, “Bill is always available, receptive, and knowledgeable, so I greatly appreciate the support of such a great mentor. Our team feels comfortable asking him questions and we don’t have to worry about if they are the right questions, he welcomes them all—that’s an awesome quality to have as a consultant.”
Volunteers engaged in this work reflect on their project experiences:
- “From the start, it was evident that everyone at Urban League of Central Carolinas is deeply passionate about their work and committed to making positive changes that will benefit the organization and enable them to continue serving the Charlotte community. It’s always a pleasure working with Apparo, fellow volunteers, and the dedicated staff and employees at the nonprofits that are making a significant impact on our community.” –Danielle Okun, CapTech Consulting
- “Working with Apparo and Urban League of Central Carolinas in this project has been an absolute joy. Their laser-focused commitment to excellence, willingness to improve, attention to detail, and budget-conscious approach has truly set them apart and set them up for long-term success. It is abundantly clear that they care deeply about their community, and it has been my pleasure to collaborate with such passionate individuals. I also want to commend ULCC on reviewing where they are and taking the steps to make improvements. Even if they can implement five percent of the recommendations, they will have boosted confidence in their ability to fulfill their mission.” –Macharia Lamar, CapTech Consulting
- “I really enjoyed working with Apparo to help further enable Urban League of Central Carolinas through maturing their data, privacy, and technology capabilities. ULCC has such a dedicated, proactive staff that implementing these changes will very quickly streamline and protect their systems and multiply the impact of their nonprofit mission. I am excited to see the impact of this work. With the amount of motivation on the Urban League team, I have no doubt there will be incredible outcomes from this project.” –Joe Nelson, CapTech Consulting
- “The Apparo experience is fantastic, but I will also say that I have been a volunteer for several years now and the CapTech team was incredibly impressive in their depth and range of knowledge across the volunteer team. They were truly fantastic and appreciated in developing this tech plan with an incredibly thoughtful approach. The organization now faces the challenge, a good challenge, of prioritizing an outstanding amount of quality recommendations.” –Bill Hammelman, CCP Tech
