G.A.I.N. – Powered by Lowe’s
Project sponsored by Bank of America.
CGI skilled volunteers provided technology solutions and an assessment for Profound Gentlemen that will improve efficiencies and reduce manual data-entry.
Profound Gentlemen came to us looking for technology solutions for their team. Their mission is to build a community of male educators of color who provide a profound additional impact on boys of color. They do this by providing male educators of color with 1:1 coaching, professional development opportunities, and access to a large network of mission-driven educators.
Background Information
Profound Gentlemen is a member of the second nonprofit cohort of Apparo’s G.A.I.N. (Growth, Agility and Innovation for Nonprofits) Program. This 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 simultaneously amplify their nonprofit impact. The G.A.I.N. program is generously sponsored by Lowe’s. This project is generously sponsored by Bank of America.
For the first phase of their G.A.I.N. journey, Profound Gentlemen was paired with volunteers from CGI to provide an assessment and technology solutions. In addition to CGI, they also have a G.A.I.N. mentor volunteer, Matthew Galimi of Divergent IT. The mentor volunteer will participate in each phase of their journey.
Prior to their G.A.I.N. journey, Profound Gentlemen came to us for technology advice. They did not have many cohesive programs in place. The nonprofit wanted help reducing what they had to make their tech processes easier. Matthew Galimi volunteered. He assisted them as they migrated to O365. Before this, employees at Profound Gentlemen were not using consistent programs. Migration to O365 has improved efficiencies and reduced risk to the entire organization.
Technology Solutions Provided
As a result of the technology solutions and plan provided, Profound Gentlemen has a wholistic view of their technology. They will be able to make strategic decisions and achieve their goals.
They anticipate the following:
- Better Planning: Having a roadmap will allow them to better staff their organization and budget more efficiently.
- Improved Operating Efficiencies and Reduced Costs: 10-15 software solutions were decommissioned, leading to reduced costs and better operating efficiencies.
- More Efficient and Robust Reporting: Migration to Microsoft Form and integration with Salesforce will reduce manual entry. This solution will save them 3 hours per month.
- Better Website Improvement: Website improvements will create a better experience for the Gentlemen, donors, and volunteers.
Leah Rapley, the nonprofit participant shared of her experience, “We have gained so much from G.A.I.N. (pun intended), from new information about the importance of having strong technology systems to a new technology infrastructure and plan that can help us be more strategic and intentional. The highlight of this cohort has been the experts we’ve met along the way. The CGI team and Matthew were beyond incredible and patient with our lack of understanding about tech in general. Because of the safe and judge-free environment they created, I wasn’t afraid to ask silly questions and pick their brain for some basic level advice. We got lucky with our team of volunteers, and I am grateful for the time they committed to this project!”
Aside from this project, Profound Gentlemen anticipates additional impact form technology solutions provided through the G.A.I.N. program. Through this program, they received laptops. Previously, they were using their own personal laptops. Since the Profound Gentlemen laptops have been issued, there has been a reduction in security risk and an increase in cybersecurity awareness. In addition, they have received a website vendor referral which will allow them to update their website at a fraction of the anticipated cost.
Volunteer Experiences
Samuel Reichle of CGI was one of several volunteers on this project. “I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with Profound Gentlemen and Apparo. It has been an insightful experience. It has demonstrated the substantial amount of time and effort put in by individuals to help a nonprofit succeed. That hard work results in a direct and positive impact on people’s lives. It has been a pleasure to help accelerate that impact and contribute to their mission through the utilization of technology.”
“I want to thank Apparo and Profound Gentlemen for the incredible opportunity to work on the project. This experience gave me a rare insight into a nonprofit organization’s IT infrastructure. It takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and resources to succeed. It’s been a pleasure to help Profound Gentlemen fast-track their technology infrastructure to allow them to continue to empower and contribute to their mission,” Andrew Otabor shared.
Another CGI volunteer had a personal connection with Profound Gentlemen. “I am thankful for Profound Gentlemen’s vision and goal. Coming from a family full of educators, it was great to be a small part as Profound Gentlemen scale and grow their footprint in different areas. The opportunity to help them is very rewarding, knowing that we help to enable them to be more successful and focus more on their day-to-day activities and goals is unlike any other,” Jericho Estanislao shared.
In conclusion, by providing the technology solutions and plan, the volunteers have helped Profound Gentlemen to create a roadmap to support their IT needs for years to come.
Tristan Spruill of CGI summed it up the best. He said, “Working with Profound Gentlemen and Apparo was a fantastic experience. Helping Profound Gentlemen with their IT needs infrastructure was great, and I truly believe they will be able to grow a vast and cherished community of teachers to help foster growth of educators in the area.”
