Accenture supports Triangle Area Mission Possible recipients with selecting and implementing Canvas, doubling their service through cohort programs
Sponsored by Accenture
Hope Renovations is a Triangle-based organization that envisions a world of gender equity in the construction industry, where all people can access the opportunity to renovate their lives. Hope Renovations builds futures and transforms lives with a dual mission: preparing underemployed women and gender-expansive individuals for construction careers and helping older adults age in place.
Hope Renovations came to Apparo as they wanted to grow their Trades Training Program to new locations. Their staff members and trainees worked across multiple software platforms to meet training needs, leaving room for error in scheduling processes and communications between staff and trainees. The organization felt it would be difficult to scale under inefficient conditions and wanted a solution to improve user experience for staff and trainees. Hope Renovations joined the Mission Possible Program looking for a solution to support their growth into multiple locations across North Carolina and the country over the next 5 years.
Sarah Campbell, Hope Renovations Vice President of Training, shares her experience in the Mission Possible program, “I appreciated how the Mission Possible process was wide open so we could use the initial consulting sessions to determine our needs. I appreciate Apparo seeing the nonprofit need, filling the knowledge gap, and being there to support us. Technology can be something that really hinders nonprofit growth, efficiency, and productivity. For a nonprofit, hindered productivity directly impacts people’s lives so this type of work is incredibly valuable and sets nonprofits up for future success. This experience with Apparo has been a huge win for Hope Renovations.“
Growth-Enabling Software Solution
As the recipient of the 2023 Mission Possible Award in the Triangle Area, Hope Renovations partnered with an Accenture skilled volunteer team to assess their current state of managing the organization’s Training Program, identify and document business requirements for a learning management system, schedule and attend vendor demos and evaluating potential solutions, empowering Hope Renovations to make the best decision for their organization. When reflecting on Accenture’s assistance with implementing a learning management system to serve as a centralized portal for their Training Program, Sarah shares, “When we started Mission Possible, we didn’t know we needed a learning management system, we just knew that we were a young nonprofit without great technology solutions so the Accenture and Apparo teams were extremely helpful in identifying the best way to use the Mission Possible Grant.” After identifying Canvas as the best-fitting solution, Accenture assisted with implementing the new software.
Hope Renovations is already using Canvas to create efficiencies in their cohort work and anticipates saving 300+ hours of staff time annually on cohort communications alone. With this new technology, staff can create templates for their trainings, eliminating time spent creating new courses and reducing time spent in class ensuring trainees have the correct information. This tool should allow for more efficient and effective communication with trainees about job and education opportunities, saving staff time to focus on the personal case management and career coaching necessary to support trainees. With this implementation, Hope Renovations anticipates the ability to expand more quickly, running a greater number of cohorts in more locations, serving more trainees, and bringing more skilled workers to the industry. In 2023, Hope Renovations had 3 cohorts, in 2024 they have 10, and they now have a goal of 20 cohorts for 2025, doubling their service in cohort programs. When considering opportunities for increased revenue through implementing a solution that helps them grow, the organization anticipates the ability to diversify revenue streams with earned income clients paying for trainings. Sarah reflects, “Canvas makes our training more professional and efficient. It instills confidence in our trainees, staff, and community partners. Growth is necessary to continue fulfilling our mission, and we couldn’t achieve this growth without a tool like this.”
Additionally, Hope Renovations realized the ability to utilize Canvas for staff training, easing onboarding processes and helping staff earn additional credentials. The team is hopeful that the volunteers’ careful approach to finding and supporting the implementation of a quality learning management system that matches their unique needs will allow them to continue to grow with greater efficiency. Sarah shares appreciation for the project work, “The volunteers were absolutely incredible. This type of work is out of my depth and the volunteers were so gracious and thoughtful in making sure things I wasn’t aware of were on the forefront. Rebecca (DePasquale, Accenture volunteer) especially led the charge, was so passionate about the mission, and really wanted to understand what we do and what we need so that what we do can be done well. I felt so supported by Apparo and Accenture and am so appreciative of everyone who was involved in the Mission Possible process.”
Accenture Volunteer Voices Reflect
- “I really appreciate Sarah’s (Hope Renovations) passion and I think one of the best things we saw out of this was the excitement she had about all the different potential ways to utilize Canvas in the future. To me, that is a massive acknowledgment of not only the success that the tool is going to bring for Hope, but also Sarah’s ability to innovate, adjust, and identify opportunities to use the tool as the organization shifts. To hear her excitement around the ways they are already leveraging the capabilities and not in firefighting mode anymore allows us to feel good about how we started them with the recommendation and how they will make it a lasting tool that can adapt to their needs as they grow.” -Rebecca DePasquale
- “This was my first long-term volunteer engagement with a nonprofit and I loved how well-organized this was thanks to Sarah from Apparo and Sarah from Hope Renovations. They made it easy for us to work on the project. I knew Hope was a special organization but having an opportunity to learn more about their work blew me away. The difference Hope is making in people’s lives is extremely heartwarming. Seeing the impact of this work makes me feel proud to have been a part of this volunteer group.” -Mallika Dey
- “This is my first nonprofit engagement, and I gained a lot of insight about how nonprofits work, which was a great opportunity. This project really opened my eyes to the multiplication of impact that a tool like Canvas can have on a nonprofit. It was refreshing and valuable to be a part of this process.” -Jesse Chen
- “Sarah (Hope Renovations) smoothly managed all the pieces, worked alongside the volunteers, and led the charge from the nonprofit side with great agility. Sarah deserves all the credit for making this happen for Hope Renovations! Sarah (Apparo) is the glue that makes our three-way partnership work—from the Art of the Possible through implementation—her heart and passion for this work is deeply appreciated.” – Wanda Shive
