Siloed System Prevents Scalable Community Impact
As one of the largest volunteer centers in the country, VolunteerNow serves a critical role in mobilizing community support for non-profits. However, their ability to operate effectively was severely constrained by outdated and disconnected technology. The organization was struggling to manage a growing number of volunteers, agencies, and events.
VolunteerNow faced several mission-critical roadblocks:
- Poor data quality with a disorganized and siloed database.
- Bottleneck processes and poor productivity throughout their various programs.
- Lack of infrastructure to support a growing number of volunteer agencies, events, and volunteers.
- Inadequate infrastructure for effective volunteer recruitment and deployment during times of disaster.
To continue its vital work and scale its impact, VolunteerNow needed a technology partner to architect a robust, centralized platform that could support its complex operational needs.
An Integrated Platform to Mobilize and Manage Volunteers
VolunteerNow needed a strategic partner to engineer a complete digital transformation. The goal was to consolidate disparate systems and build a powerful, centralized platform that could support its complex operational needs both today and in the future. KMS Technology was selected for our expertise in architecting complex, scalable solutions that integrate seamlessly.
1. A Customized Salesforce Hub
We began by customizing Salesforce to serve as the single source of truth for all of VolunteerNow’s programs. This involved a complex migration of data and functionality from six different legacy systems, coupled with the automation of intricate business processes.
The result was a unified platform that eliminated data silos and provided a 360-degree view of all operations.
2. A Scalable Web Portal Built on AWS
To handle the high volume of users and events, we engineered a robust and scalable web portal using Amazon Web Services (AWS) and PHP. This architecture was purpose-built for high performance and reliability, ensuring the platform could manage a large number of volunteers and events across the globe without issue.
3. An Intelligent Matchmaking Engine
A standout feature of the new portal is a custom “matchmaking” engine. This tool empowers volunteers to easily search and filter for their ideal opportunities, while simultaneously allowing partner organizations to find qualified volunteers who meet their specific needs, creating perfect fits for community service.
4. A Disaster-Ready Model for Rapid Response
To address the critical need for emergency preparedness, we designed and built a “disaster-ready” mode for the portal. This specialized feature enables the rapid mass onboarding of emergency volunteers, ensuring VolunteerNow can support its larger partners, such as the Red Cross, and mobilize the community swiftly during a crisis.
Building a Technological Foundation for a Stronger Community Impact
The partnership with KMS has fundamentally transformed VolunteerNow’s ability to serve its community. The unified platform eliminated operational bottlenecks and provided the modern tools needed to connect volunteers with meaningful opportunities at an unprecedented scale. By consolidating six different technologies, the organization now operates with a level of efficiency and data clarity it never had before.
The new system seamlessly manages 150+ events and supports 2,000 volunteers, all while providing a rich user experience with over 10 major new features. Most importantly, the scalable infrastructure and disaster-ready functionality have equipped VolunteerNow to not only meet the current needs of North Texas but also to respond effectively when the community needs it most.
“KMS was a real asset to our non-profit and they have allowed us to technologically support our volunteers in ways that we never could before. We commend KMS for their flexibility and organization.”
KMS delivered the strategic engineering required to build a modern platform, empowering VolunteerNow to connect more people with their purpose and drive greater community impact.