Alliant Health skilled volunteers deliver nonprofit technology plan that will help increase HOPE Atlanta’s ability to fight homelessness.
HOPE Atlanta is the Metro’s most established agency dedicated to fighting homelessness. They seek to help Georgians avoid homelessness and hunger through a comprehensive approach that equips them with the tools for lifelong stability. Their holistic, individualized approach addresses clients’ immediate needs first while working toward self-sufficiency and lifelong stability.
HOPE Atlanta is in the midst of rolling out their five-year strategic plan with a new executive team in place. Needing a plan to guide integrated, streamlined use of technology tools, they reached out to Apparo for a comprehensive technology plan to inform their technology needs and better position them for growth over the next 3-5 years.
Through Apparo’s Community Impact Project program, they were matched to skilled volunteers from Alliant Health Solutions who assessed the organization’s technology, policies, infrastructure, operations, and security in order to deliver a comprehensive technology plan and roadmap, identifying areas for improvement and ultimately better positioning the organization for success.
Alliant Health Solutions also generously sponsored this project.
After the project was completed, we met with Elizabeth Banks, Chief Program Officer, to discuss the significance, expected impact on nonprofit sustainability and other benefits.
Elizabeth shares, “We came to Apparo with a new leadership team, limited internal IT support, inconsistent use of our systems and a need to understand overall technology use. We are launching a new strategic plan and want to increase our operational efficiencies. Our goal is to have more time and money to spend helping the people we serve. We knew we need an assessment of our use of technology and plan for going forward.
“Having Apparo and our Alliant Health volunteers do the technology assessment and create the plan took a lot of time and energy off me, which is especially important because we are operating on a shoestring budget with a very lean team.”
Nonprofit technology plan will free 20,000+ hours of time and deliver many other powerful benefits to free resources that can be directed toward serving those facing homelessness and hunger.
Elizabeth anticipates many positive benefits to HOPE Atlanta, upon implementation of the technology plan:
- Saved time through SharePoint based document storage – 100+ staff members are anticipated to save 4 hours a week, totaling 20,000+ hours of time saved annually
- Increased revenue – More time for fundraising/grant applications and for development and execution of earned revenue program
- Minimized risk through:
- Well documented policies and procedures
- Password management
- Data access permissions
- Data backup
- Increased employee satisfaction and decreased burnout through:
- Ability to find what they need quickly
- Improved ability to collaborate
- Training
- Streamlined systems which will save time and money – Data integration will help minimize number of systems and eliminate manual process.
- Additional cost savings through nonprofit pricing and new managed service provider
- Improved ability to be proactive – Planning ahead of obsolescence of technology will allow the organization to become more proactive in budgeting for tech expenses.
Most importantly, these improvements will allow HOPE Atlanta to shift resources of time and money to do more to fight homelessness. As Elizabeth explains, “Currently, we have the capacity to move people from crisis to stability, but not further. Having more time and money to support our clients will allow us to help move them from stability to the next step of self-sufficiency.”
In closing, Elizabeth shares, “HOPE Atlanta is thrilled about our collaboration with Apparo and Alliant Health, which promises a brighter, more efficient future for our agency. Apparo’s in-depth tech assessment is a pivotal step towards enhancing our technological infrastructure. This partnership is not just about improving our current operations; it’s a gateway to future innovations and advancements. With Apparo’s expertise and Alliant Health’s support, we are set to transform how we serve our community, elevating our capacity to address homelessness in Georgia. This collaboration is a cornerstone in building a future where technology empowers every aspect of our mission.”
Alliant Health project volunteers also shared their appreciation for participating in this work.
John Slaughter – “Working with Apparo and HOPE Atlanta was a rewarding experience which allowed Alliant IT staff to apply their expertise and skills to a local organization which does outstanding work for the greater Atlanta area.”
Angie Zhu – “I had a great time working on this project…I have a busy work schedule and I could still make time to work on this project to help others, this makes me more efficient in my time management. Thanks for providing this opportunity for me. I really enjoyed working with you.”
Maulik Trivedi – “Working with Apparo and HOPE teams on putting together Tech Assessment Plan was a rewarding and fulfilling experience for me. I learned a lot about the challenges and opportunities that the organization faced, and I was able to contribute to its mission and vision. I also developed valuable skills and networks that will help me in my future endeavors. I enjoyed working with a diverse and passionate team of staff and volunteers, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a positive difference in non-profit landscape.”
