Best Practices

In parallel with the evolution of technology, policy and practice models continue to change to meet both regulatory requirements and best practices as understood through quantitative and qualitative research. We asked Elisha Gilliam, Director of Practice...

If your organization's workflow process isn't paperless, you may be exposing yourself and your clients to easily avoidable security risks. 

Since March, Casebook PBC has taken steps to enable our workers to be effective while working remotely. While we have always had a large contingent of remote workers, switching to a fully-remote operation without access to our office has presented challenges that...

Let’s face it, the world of grant writing can be daunting. With RFPs, FOAs, RFAs, LOIs, EDs, PDs...it feels like alphabet soup! However, all you need is a solid strategy and a clear voice—which really entails having a strong understanding of how to navigate the...

As an organization, you have to be able to pivot between funders to position yourselves for grants for which you’re eligible. The adaptability needed to convey different tones and key points in your work will ensure your longevity. In this post, you’ll learn more...

Despite the benefits and the increased use of Software as a Service (SaaS) in government and nonprofits, uncertainty about cloud security still exists. As the COVID-19 crisis forces the world to examine our ability to work from home, human services organizations...

Building a legacy that stands the test of time is difficult. On average, US-based nonprofits have expenses of less than $1 million; and the majority of those focus on youth, education, community development, or human services at large. For every ‘powerhouse’...

In the previous post, we touched on how capacity-building grants are identified and developed in an effort to better position organizations for growth. Now, we’ll review the power of capacity-building grants and the impact they can have on an organization’s...

The previous post outlined the primary types of capacity-building projects and reviewed how transformational successful capacity-building implementation have been, for example, nonprofits. In this post, we’ll delve into reporting as well as the need for positive...

Casebook has always emphasized working directly with practitioners when developing our platform. When we embarked on developing cb: Engage, we came to the drawing board with a research-focused approach. In recent interviews with practitioners, a recurring...

A little less than 20 years ago, almost to the day, I received a call that would unknowingly launch a 13-year career in child welfare services. That's quite a remarkable tenure considering that when the organization called me for the interview, I couldn't even...

Welcome back to the second part in a two-part series on combating staff turnover in social services. Previously we talked about the budget dilemmas that typically put the least experienced and least paid staff on the frontlines, spending most of their time with...

How to best serve the needs of youth aging out of foster care? The law may believe they’re old enough for independent living, but in reality the barriers to doing so can feel insurmountable. It’s a challenging question for even the most seasoned child welfare...

For the vast majority of teenagers turning into adults, turning 21 represents a time of wonder and excitement. This is a time of planning for the future that includes job training, college applications and attendance, and learning practical skills. However, for...

It’s difficult for some charities to ask for donations. They don’t have a history of it, they are shy about asking for money or maybe they don’t have the staff or board members with the right skills. Take heart! If your agency needs a strategy to build a donor...

Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. 

You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban...

Survivors like Laura get caught in the intersection between homelessness and domestic violence, a situation you see every day in your work as a victim advocate and service provider. You see survivors escape, only to end up on the street.  Your job is to find...

Teachers face a challenge to keep children focused on their lesson plans. For some, the student's needs exceed their expertise, time for individual attention, or the resources and support to help children with special needs. That’s where you come in. Wraparound...

Inmates in any kind of detention may experience a wide range of emotions about their release. After only one year of incarceration they may already have lost their sense of how to cope with the outside world. They often face confusion and anxiety about what life...

Identifying The Issue When Re-Entering Society People released from all types of detention facilities may not be fully prepared to re-enter society. They will transition from a life in which they had few choices to one in which they will have much greater control...

Evaluation, reporting, and data management are a necessary part of life in the social services field. Funders want to measure the impact of their donations, licensing agencies need to ensure professional standards are met, and managers need to track staff and...

When you work in social services, using the right language is essential. Even if you’ve been in the same field for a few years, changing jobs might involve memorizing completely different sets of terms than the ones you’re used to, even for the same situation. Two...

A Home For Your Data Casebook’s software allows human service providers and other agencies the opportunity to take the documentation that you have and organize it onto our platform so that it may be available at all times. Many software solution platforms also...

After about a decade of working in public safety, I would get frustrated when our radio and software vendors would claim to be “saving lives.” These technologies were instrumental in the process of saving lives, but the radios and software weren’t risking their...

How Does Casebook Help Multi-Service Centers When you work for a multi-service community center, you’re dealing with a thousand moving parts. From managing a gym to running a preschool or even a shelter, your organization does it all. You need case management...

cb Reporting for Foster Care Services Working in adoption and foster care means holding peoples’ lives in your hands, their dreams and hopes for finding and starting a new family. It’s sensitive information, and you want to know that data is accurate, safe, and...

From here on out there will be even more challenges to providing care to communities.

So far, we’ve reviewed watchdog sites’ standards, detailing indicators for a nonprofit’s success, and articulating metrics. What do all of these have in common? DATA! Ratings, program development, case-making…all are driven by a drumbeat of qualitative and...

In previous posts, we’ve reviewed best practices regarding grantwriting and communicating your story to funders. We’ve even talked about the importance of third-party validation. Another key to success is understanding how to build stronger relationships with...

The Importance of Project Management We’ve covered many topics! Grant writing basics, shifting framing based on audience type, external validators, and even the building blocks of relationship building. The glue that holds all of these key elements together is...

So, how do we build trust? You build trust by ensuring that you’re following through on your commitments and promises to funders. This is partly why the engagement phase is so important, each follow-up, touch point engagement moment underline commitments and...