Volunteers provide valuable nonprofit technology recommendations for Shining Hope Farms through Apparo’s G.A.I.N. Program
G.A.I.N. – Powered by Lowe’s
Shining Hope Farms was founded in 2002 in response to the needs in the community to provide therapeutic services in an enriching natural environment. The purpose of the farms’ services is to improve the quality of life of the participants as well as their families. The programs have been structured to serve individuals and groups with a variety of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, developmental delay, brain injuries, and genetic disorders, as well as those in need of mental health support and Veterans. Their clients find wellness, strength, and hope through various nature-based clinical therapies and adaptive horseback riding.
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.
Shining Hope Farms entered the G.A.I.N. program operating from an antiquated state with outdated processes, software, and no formal IT role on their staff. They had broad goals around improvements in process and software efficiencies but were unsure where or how to begin. Through this first phase of the program, the organization gained a better understanding of their foundational needs and how to best prioritize them. Shining Hope Farms Assistant Director, Jessamyn Farrell shares,
“My initial conversations with my mentor, the G.A.I.N. workshops, and other meetings with the Apparo and volunteer teams have been incredibly valuable in highlighting areas for improvement in our processes. G.A.I.N. brought to my attention several critical aspects that we can enhance, particularly in the realm of security. While security was not initially a central focus of what we were looking to gain through this program, we have now prioritized it and recognized the importance of continually updating our security practices. As a health-focused nonprofit, we adhere to HIPAA standards and other compliances, which adds complexity to maintaining data security with our limited resources. Although cybersecurity can be overwhelming, I am so grateful that I have been able to consult with our mentor or Apparo to clarify our needs and make informed decisions. This expert guidance has significantly bolstered our organization’s confidence and effectiveness in managing security.”
Technology Recommendations Supporting Nonprofit Goal of Doubling Services
Volunteers including those from WSP, Charles Schwab, Divergent IT Consulting, and ATD supported Shining Hope in creating a thorough Technology Plan, helping the organization understand and prioritize their foundational needs, and bringing more attention to cybersecurity risks. The volunteer team identified many opportunities for improvements around integrations and updates that will save staff time, optimize reporting processes, and greatly reduce risks.
Because Shining Hope is a small team across three locations, their one office phone was not always staffed, creating delays in communication and scheduling with staff, therapists, clients, funders, and other community members. After implementing the project recommendations, communication with constituents will happen much quicker, creating positive ripple effects in client satisfaction, branding reputation, fundraising efforts, and overall ability to fulfill their mission. Establishing a VOIP system has already supported the organization in more quickly and efficiently responding to client and staff needs. With an improved ability to access and share their data, Shining Hope can better communicate with funders about how they deliver their mission, strengthening donor relationships and the potential to expand their programs and reach.
Through prioritizing cybersecurity and implementing recommendations around staff technology training, device and password policies, wifi server processes, streamlining data storage to the cloud vs. locally saved files, and more, the organization anticipates reducing many cybersecurity risks and increasing many long-term efficiencies. They look forward to the benefits of hiring a managed service provider and reducing costs on Microsoft licensing. In addition to leveraging the cost reduction of Microsoft 365, by integrating, updating, and consolidating software systems and processes, the team expects to save great amounts of staff time. The Shining Hope team anticipates an improved ability to maintain access to collaborative files with recommendations around modern security standards. Jessamyn emphasizes the impact of having a formalized Tech Plan and the support of experts, boosting confidence in their tech and business decisions while planning for future growth, sharing that having Shining Hope leadership and decision-makers on calls with these experts was incredibly effective in deepening the understanding of the organization’s needs.
Nonprofit and health industries are both areas of high burnout. Through these Tech Plan recommendations, the organization is addressing factors that lead to staff burnout, planning for sustainable growth, and supporting their retention efforts by reducing stress and frustration caused by technology and process inefficiencies. When constituents can engage efficiently, both clients and staff will experience increased satisfaction, reducing internal therapist turnover. All anticipated efficiencies from the Tech Plan support Shining Hope’s goal of doubling their services. Jessamyn reflects on the timing of this project, “We are about to revamp our strategic plan and this tech roadmap provided a perfect tool for our operations committee to implement these initiatives in our next strategic plan. The timing of this work was perfect.”
Volunteers reflect on their experiences:
- “It’s a pleasure to offer technical guidance to assist Shining Hope Farms in their wonderful mission of therapeutic services improving quality of life for so many.” – Paul Happel, Charles Schwab
- “The Shining Hope Farms and Apparo project has been a very valuable and rewarding experience for me. While my expertise is in data, analytics, and insights, I definitely appreciated being involved in this project and hopefully, Shining Hope Farms can implement the project team’s recommendations to help achieve their mission. I look forward to participating in similar projects helping non-profits in the Charlotte community. ” –Oz Tuzcu
