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Using Data for Enhanced Nonprofit Performance: Insights and Strategies

Whitepaper, Driving Nonprofit Impact With Data and Technology, synthesizes the findings from a survey Executive Directors of 27 agencies in human services.Survey Insights Data Utilization The survey illuminates a crucial gap, with 73% of agencies underutilizing data in...
by Casebook Editorial Team 7 min read

AI Tools for Human Services Nonprofits

Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily...
by Casebook Editorial Team 13 min read

Buy or Build Your Own Case Management System for Human Services?

You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making...
by Andrew Pelletier 20 min read

Best Practices

The Ultimate Guide to Grant Funding Success

UPDATED for 2024: Discover best practices to securing grant funding with our comprehensive guide. From identifying opportunities to crafting winning proposals, we cover everything you need to succeed.

Download now and start your journey towards grant funding success.

Secure Your Funding Pt. 3 — Emphasis On The Data

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 quantitative data. How the public v...

Reporting Impact and Communicating to Grant Funders

The previous post outlined the primary types of capacity-building projects and reviewed how transformational successful capacity-building implementation have been, for example, nonprofits...

by Sade Dozan4 min read

Capacity-Building Grants | Nonprofit Case Studies

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 g...

by Sade Dozan4 min read

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AI Tools for Human Services Nonprofits

Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically...
Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies. Following are some AI tools for you to consider. There are many others available as well. These solutions will take some of the heavy lift off staff so your organization, and those you serve, can thrive! AI Solutions - Administrative With these tools, you can easily automate tasks that are typically time-consuming. Otter.AI and Jasper.AI are two standouts among many others. IBM Watson Assistant: Uses AI to help you build and deploy chatbots and virtual assistants. If you have ever chatted online on a website before being connected to a live agent, you have interacted with a chatbot. Try for free. Jasper.AI: Uses AI to complete a variety of daily tasks. Starts at $40 a month. Otter.AI: Uses AI to take notes during meetings in real-time and captures the key takeaways. Free and paid versions are available. Three ways AI-powered chatbots can help your nonprofit: They can answer frequently asked questions interactively (such as how to donate to your organization). They can hold engaging conversations with website visitors and capture data for future use by you and your team. They can gather essential information from callers seeking referrals, helping your clients secure assistance faster. In this article, we'll discuss why high turnover is a critical issue for nonprofit organizations, the negative impacts of high turnover on nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, the best practices for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover, and how low-cost nonprofit case management software can help improve engagement and retention in nonprofit teams. AI Solutions – Data If you are considering an AI-driven data solution, there are several databases available. Standouts include Fundraise and NeonCRM. Bloomerang: Uses AI to help nonprofits retain more donors and increase their lifetime value. Price varies. Funraise: Uses AI to help nonprofits track donor data and automate workflows. Try for free. NeonCRM: Uses AI to help nonprofits streamline operations, manage data, and increase impact. Price varies. Three ways AI-powered data tools can help your nonprofit: They can help identify patterns of behavior among donors (e.g., likelihood of giving), helping you forecast more accurately. They can evaluate current programming and suggest options based on existing and future trends. They can add an extra layer of support to ensure data integrity. AI Solutions - Finance AI-powered finance programs help with processes. Freshbooks is a standout. Freshbooks: Uses AI-driven accounting software to track and manage expenses, invoices, payments, and reports. Use for free. Xero: Uses AI to improve financial performance. Use for free. ZohoBooks: Uses AI to automate workflows, track transactions, and generate financial statements. Use for free. Three ways AI-powered finance tools can help your nonprofit: Bookkeeping automation reduces human error and allows you to place many repetitive tasks on autopilot. AI is excellent at detecting fraudulent patterns and can flag suspicious activities. They can provide an extra layer of risk management support. AI Solutions - Fundraising These CRM tools focus on funding. Humanitas is a standout. GrantBoost.io: Uses AI to help nonprofit organizations secure funding. Try for free. Humanitas: Uses AI to streamline fundraising. Free for nonprofits. Keela.com: Uses AI to identify donor insights. Price varies. StoryChief: Uses AI to manage client stories. Try for free. 60sec.site: Uses AI to help you build a website or landing page for your next event or your nonprofit quickly. Try for free. Three ways AI-powered fundraising tools can help your nonprofit: They can scrub your data to look for lapsed donors (donor churn), and other issues, while also offering creative solutions to reengage individuals. They can help take your special events to the next level by providing unique and tested ideas for engagement. They can help make the grant writing process more seamless, from developing concepts for narratives to identifying examples of winning grant strategies.
by Casebook Editorial Team 13 min read

Buy or Build Your Own Case Management System for Human Services?

You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to p...
You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list. You run a social services organization and you're keeping all of your records in a spreadsheet, and now you are wondering if the investment in a case management solution is right for you. You're probably already having trouble getting the reports you need and making informed decisions about how to provide the best outcomes for your clients. How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing How easy will it be to find information in the case of an audit? How quickly can you show your impact in the community and product reports for your funders? Now is the time to decide if investing some more into your existing spreadsheet and paper-based system makes sense or if it's time to upgrade to a full-fledged human services software system. After speaking with hundreds (and possibly thousands) of organizations offering various impactful services to their communities, I have observed specific patterns of data that are vital to any case management record. Each organization is unique, and like your own, they each have specific data points that are required for their particular field. The general patterns hold that the points I’m about to discuss are uniform with the majority of social service programs in need of case management. By using this information, you can start to built out your existing system or make an informed decision if moving toward a SaaS platform for social services is a more efficient option. Vital Components People. At its core, human services are about humans. This should be the foundational piece of your records. People are why you do what you do, therefore they are the most vital aspect of your record keeping. While the person can be broken down into various categories (i.e. demographics, personal history, income status, needs, etc.), you need, at the very least, an identifying device. Whether that’s a name or an ID Number is completely up to you, but you must be able to signify those people with whom and for whom you are working. Services. The second most important data point required for case management is the services being provided for those individuals with whom you are working. Recording those multiple ways you help your clients can begin to create a visible pattern of successful versus unsuccessful outcomes, as well as give context to the support you’re raising. Elements needed in recording services should be: The service name/type The duration of that service Any interactions between the client and the service (i.e. attendance, visits, etc.) Other details such as who administered the service, outcomes of that service, etc. are also helpful data elements to collect. Notes. Collecting a historical list of all interactions with clients is paramount when collaborating on casework. This limits the duplication of services and conversations. It also protects your organization from false accusations and audits. Having a singular vantage point of all of these case notes is incredibly valuable, especially when compared to adding sticky notes to a paper folder. Notes should include: The author of that note A roster of people involved in the note (Clients, caseworkers, family members in attendance at a meeting, as an example) Date and time stamps on the interaction discussed in the case note The note itself This is an area where meticulous record keeping is very important. For example, if someone is moved from one care facility to another, but forgets to make the first placement as "closed", there could be confusion about who is where. This is mitigated in automated human services databases. Documents and Forms. Love them or hate them, forms and documents are a vital part of every caseworker’s life. Whether you’re using a physical paper system or a digital solution, you need forms for intake, agreements, background checks, assessments, service agreements, surveys, and copies of vital records, and more. The good news is that they serve the purpose of keeping your work above reproach when audited. They also allow your team to coordinate efforts in helping others. Many organizations invest in a high-quality paper filing system with well thought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about where the files are stored, who can check them out, and what happens when someone leaves the organization but fails to return a client's folder. Another option is a cloud drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can organize clients into folders and then search when looking for something. Google drive even can search the contents of a PDF or image file. Other organizations choose to use a person-centric social services platform to keep these documents and forms in a digital format, so they can be stored indefinitely in a HIPAA-compliant secure repository. Other Communications. Have you communicated with your client by text message (SMS) or email? Be sure to have a process in place to retain these communications and to access them as they are needed. One way is to create a folder and then create a rule in your email client ("filters" in Gmail) to organize your communications with each client. This can quickly get overwhelming but it gets the job done for smaller organizations that don't have a lot of client growth. As mentioned above, these are only the essential components of casework. A list of nice-to-haves would include items such as employee management, easy-to-follow workflows, task management, and a way to make sure every meeting is synchronized with your phone's calendar. Every human service organization has unique needs, so you can surely think of a few more things that we've left off the list.
by Andrew Pelletier 20 min read

3 Things to Look for When Choosing Your Nonprofit Management Software

If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS ...
If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization. If you’re in the market for new software to help manage your organization, look to the cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms continue to explode in number and popularity, offering innovative solutions to serve organizations in virtually every industry. Nonprofits especially are finding SaaS offerings that help them operate more efficiently, making it easier to carry out their missions. To help you evaluate the many nonprofit management software options currently available to you, consider the following. What You Want From Your Nonprofit Management Software Knowing exactly what you expect to get from a software platform will help immensely as you search for one. By understanding your organization’s administrative and operational pain points, you’ll be able to narrow down the extensive volume of options. If you’re focused on fundraising, you’ll want your solution to simplify grant funding by providing quick and easy access to the reports you need for applications to grant providers. Whatever your organization’s greatest needs are must dictate its software of choice. Nonprofit management software comes in such a variety that it’s easy to lose track of what matters: your organization’s mission. Let this guiding influence inform your judgment as you weigh what’s right for your teams, your leadership, and those whom your organization serves. Naturally, ease of use and affordability are key considerations when shopping for any new software. Beyond these must-haves, three qualities stand out as essential for whichever nonprofit management software you choose to have: accessibility, security, and configurability. 1. Accessibility Unless everyone in your organization works at the same location every day, on-premise software may be insufficient for its needs. Cloud-based software is accessed online, so you can access it remotely with an internet connection without having to download anything. Platforms that have application programming interface (API) connectivity help you increase their accessibility by making integration with other software easy. The possibility of working from anywhere with seamless interoperability between different software programs is a notable strength of cloud-based platforms. SaaS providers eliminate the need for lengthy downloads, allowing for real-time access to your system by workers in the field. The bane of digital storage issues also evaporates, making for a more streamlined experience than with other nonprofit management software. As remote employment trends continue to expand their reach, online accessibility of information systems becomes a greater imperative not just for nonprofits, but for any organization seeking to function seamlessly as a team without being confined to a single location. 2. Security Although on-premise platforms may have been given a reputation for being more secure than software in the cloud, you can achieve a comparable level of cybersecurity with each option. Whatever your choice — either on-premise or cloud-based solutions — each can provide the security your organization needs. As cybersecurity advancements accelerate, more nonprofits are adopting online SaaS solutions to take advantage of their convenience without sacrificing cybersecurity. Regulatory frameworks like SOC and HIPAA establish critical guidelines for ensuring privacy through data security, setting stringent standards for compliance. Your nonprofit management software should offer the controls necessary to meet or exceed the standards identified in the regulations of any relevant frameworks, on top of any other cybersecurity needs specific to your organization. Given the demand for online software that offers robust security, SaaS providers continue to boost their cybersecurity offerings and credentials. 3. Configurability Understanding the distinction between configuration and customization is crucial when looking for your nonprofit management software. Your organization’s unique identity makes it challenging to find the right platform to suit its needs from among widely available options, like many CRM and ERP systems. That’s where configuring and customizing come in. They differ in a few ways, not the least of which is cost, with customizations typically carrying much more in terms of time and money. Configurable software is built with a baseline level of capability tailored for a particular sector, providing some control in shaping the platform to meet your organization’s requirements. Configurability enables you to adjust preloaded functionality in a user-friendly way that’s designed to help organizations conform software to align with their needs. Without the ability to easily configure your platform, you may have to adapt your processes to suit a new system if you want to avoid paying for an expensive customization.
by Brian Johnson 15 min read

Single vs Multi-Tenant SaaS Architecture for Your Human Services Organization

The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structur...
The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization. The two types of cloud architecture have different structures and offer various advantages and disadvantages for your human services organization. Whether your organization is a nonprofit, private enterprise, or public sector agency, you will want to familiarize yourself with these distinct structures as you consider the possibilities for SaaS. Differences Between Single-Tenant and Multi-Tenant SaaS At a basic level, the single-tenant architecture provides a single instance (piece) of software and its associated infrastructure to a single customer, whereas multi-tenant architecture serves multiple customers. As their names suggest, the two types of tenancy in SaaS architecture may be compared to different housing arrangements. In a single-tenant arrangement, as in a single-family home, the customer owns the structure and everything in it. They are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and utilities, as well as more specialized requirements, such as security. Single-tenancy SaaS architecture supports one platform user running a single platform codebase on their website. With single tenancy, each customer has their own separate database and instance of the software. No sharing among tenants occurs with this option, as there is only one tenant. On the other hand, using multi-tenant software could be equated to living in an apartment building. Portions of the infrastructure are shared among tenants, yet each tenant has their own private "space." Compared to maintaining a house, renting an apartment comes with less cost and commitment, and includes ongoing services from providers. Similarly, your SaaS server provider handles the maintenance and upgrade process so you don’t have to. With multi-tenancy, the single instance of the software's codebase is shared between multiple users. In multi-tenant SaaS, each tenant's individual data remains discrete, unseen, and secure from other tenants, but they all share: Web servers Infrastructure services Database Memory Let's take a closer look at how single-tenancy and multi-tenancy environments differ, and how these differences may impact your human services organization. Cost Single-tenant architecture usually allows the customer more resources than does multi-tenant. But, since they're all dedicated to one customer, those resources can carry a hefty price tag. In a multi-tenant setup, the cost for the service is shared, and those savings are typically passed on to the customer. Public sector agencies, private enterprises, and nonprofits often work within tight budget constraints, making multi-tenancy a sensible option for many different types of human services organizations. Setup and Configuration Compared to a multi-tenant setup, single-tenant software will often demand more time and effort from your organization. It consumes more resources during setup and ongoing maintenance, requiring some level of customization to be implemented. Multi-tenant SaaS, conversely, allows for quick setups and light management. Customers can add data, users, and third-party integrations with relative ease in the multi-tenant environment, which is configurable to your organization's specific needs. Scalability and Efficiency Since resources in a single-tenant cloud are dedicated to one tenant, utilization is generally less efficient than in a multi-tenant cloud. Scalability can be a challenge with single-tenancy also, as customers are often operating with fixed resources. With multi-tenant architecture, resources are balanced across customers, leading to greater overall efficiency. A multi-tenant system can shift computing resources where they're needed, keeping vendor costs low and resulting in a scalable solution for your human services organization.
by Brian Johnson 11 min read

Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology

Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available....
Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration. Using Casebook's API to Connect your Human Services Technology With human services and case work playing such a large role in community programs and impacting the lives or countless of individuals and families, one would imagine that funds to grow and improve such efforts are made readily available. Moreover, with the superabundance of new technology and software that is shaping our every day, it would not be a far leap to assume that technology innovations to tackle and fix these fundamental human challenges would be abundant. However, the funding and technology to drive forward social change is far less frequent and technology more outdated than many other industries. Furthermore, some of the greatest benefits of the tools at our disposal nowadays are realized only when multiple, specialized applications are able to share information with another. Having worked with several Fortune 500 companies on their IT infrastructure, it was not uncommon to see dozens of business critical systems, and many more dozens of supplemental systems across their environment. The critical aspect needed to allow workers within the organization to efficiently execute the organizations objective without being loaded down with administrative tasks, was the dozens or hundreds of systems' ability to share information. Every great person is often made up of the support of the network of people they are surrounded by. So too, does the quality of the IT landscape of your organization and interoperability determine how much time employees and volunteers spend with administrative tasks and the communication of information that could happen automatically. In Practice While our origins are in foster and adoption care, the need to capture an individuals journey with details about services, interactions, and considerations that are made along the way are key to most human services organizations. Beyond having the basic data entry components needed for case management, Casebook PBC offers a framework and structure to capturing details about your organizations journey with the clients, communities, and partner providers you serve. As such, much of the data needed for supporting operations, whether financial data, client’s information, or organization level information, is already present and updated naturally as the system is used. With the data already present in each of Casebook’s business applications during day to day operations, contributory activities performed in specialized and mandated systems won’t require special processes to first obtain the necessary data. By configuring and customizing Casebook’s platform to align and guide your organization's core activities, we have seen significant reductions in data entry time, duplication of information and efforts, and a renewed ability to increase the time spent with the chore mission in your community. Casebook’s API First Methodology Casebook is built with API first in mind, resulting in all of the fields that are used in the web based service to be available for integration.
by Patrick Stewart 9 min read

Why Organizations are Choosing Configurable vs. Customizable Software

Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On t...
Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs. Configurable software allows users to adjust certain settings or parameters in order to customize the way it functions. This is often done through a user interface or configuration file, which enables users to easily make changes without having to delve into the underlying code of the software. On the other hand, customizable software is software that can be modified or extended by users through direct manipulation of the code. This typically requires a deeper understanding of programming and software development, as well as access to the source code of the software. There are several reasons why configurable software is generally considered to be better than customizable software. First, configurable software is generally easier to use. Most users do not have the technical expertise or resources to modify the code of software, so the ability to make changes through a simple user interface or configuration file is much more accessible. This means that users can easily customize the software to meet their specific needs or preferences, without having to worry about breaking anything or causing unintended consequences. Second, configurable software is often more stable and reliable. When users modify the code of software directly, there is a risk of introducing bugs or other issues that can negatively impact the performance of the software. With configurable software, these risks are minimized, as users are only able to adjust certain parameters and settings, rather than modifying the core code of the software. Third, configurable software is often more scalable. As a business or organization grows and evolves, its software needs may change as well. With configurable software, it is often easier to make these changes without having to re-write large portions of the code. Customizable software, on the other hand, may require more extensive modifications in order to meet the changing needs of the organization. Fourth, configurable software is generally more cost-effective. Developing customizable software can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it requires specialized technical skills and resources. Configurable software, on the other hand, can often be implemented more quickly and at a lower cost, as it does not require the same level of development effort. Overall, configurable software offers a number of benefits over customizable software. It is easier to use, more stable and reliable, more scalable, and more cost-effective. For these reasons, it is often the preferred choice for businesses and organizations looking to customize their software to meet their specific needs.
by Brian Johnson 8 min read

How Can Configurable Technologies Help Human Service Agencies Support Changes in Policy and Practice?

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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate ...
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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems. 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 Integration, Casebook PBC / Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation about the challenges and impact of new technologies. Since the implementation of major IT systems for child welfare and other human services, have practice models changed? Practice models and approaches in child welfare are ever changing. Research, federal policy changes, and societal shifts make it necessary for practice models to shift to meet the needs. These new practice models aim to produce good outcomes for vulnerable children, families, and communities. IT systems have made it possible to gain access to data in order to evaluate what works and what’s not working in the field. What challenges do personnel have with their legacy systems and implementing new practice elements within them? When I speak to both agency leaders and frontline staff, they often complain about how cumbersome it is to input data into their legacy systems. They also express concerns about the validity of the data they can retrieve. The current IT systems don’t allow for easy changes as policies change. Often to accommodate shifts in a policy, they tend to build workarounds to capture data until changes in their system can be made. These workarounds can be a big challenge in our county-administered systems since they have must send those requests up to the state level IT department to make adjustments. By the time that change is made, the local jurisdiction may have moved on to a new practice change. When agencies must accommodate policy changes with rigid legacy systems, what operational impacts can occur? When IT systems can’t be easily adjusted to support practice changes, it takes a toll on staff and the financial resources of the agency. They often have had to purchase additional software products to create what’s needed to capture data, which also requires staff to use multiple products. One of the most significant sacrifices for child welfare front line workers is time away from working with the families and children who need their support, because the worker spends substantial time completing administrative duties on often inflexible systems.
by Ryan Williams 8 min read

Case management software that brings it all together.

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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or an...
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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it. 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 challenge mentioned was the difficulty or annoyance of toggling between different software programs, the potential pitfalls that presents, and how it's frustrating to switch gears to work on one case or record. A trend highlighted in multiple stakeholder interviews was how a user might go to one software for forms that need to be filled out or attached, switch to another software to write notes, and sometimes even a third software to update information about clients or service providers! This all adds up to quite a bit of time toggling, increases the possibility for errors, and is inefficient. When it comes to software buying, we've seen the pendulum swing back and forth between extremes: generalist vs. specialist, mobile browser-based or mobile native, all-in-one packages, or task-focused software. The last one, buying task-focused software for any industry, is currently a trend I see in human services. It is common to see small bits of software for things such as: Software for forms Software for note-taking Software for calendaring and prioritization of tasks CRM software for identifying people and contacts Teams are already overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they are required to complete for each case and the need to switch from one application to another to manage multiple cases. These interdependencies from various software applications can often lead to dangerous security gaps, increases in human errors, data sync irregularities, the need for revisions - not to mention dealing with the user experience and customer support from varying software suppliers. In the interest of making small wins by purchasing software to handle one small part of the case management process, leaders risk increasing headaches that social workers experience.Casebook designed software that simplifies how social services work by aggregating and organizing information that matches the way that practitioners need it.
by Casebook Editorial Team 7 min read

Features & Benefits: Helping the Helpers with Casebook Technology

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 life and limb to pull someone from a b...
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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time. 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 life and limb to pull someone from a burning building. So when I joined the Casebook team a phrase that others used around the office to describe what we do - “Helping the Helpers” resonated with me at the time. Years later, it’s still the core focus of what we do. Our experienced team is putting tools into the hands of the true heroes, and we make every decision based on what will make our amazing customers – the helpers -- more successful in their mission. Here are a few of the ways Casebook helps human services workers do their best each day. Focus on Relationships and the Person Just like the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” it often takes the support and involvement of a case worker, family member, or other informal support to succeed in nearly any program. Casebook is built around the concept of a person, rather than a case, so that all activity is connected to one person record and can give one or more assigned case workers insight into their journey through your organization or the human services system (depending on configuration). In addition to providing the highest level of insight, Casebook is built to maintain data integrity so that your “client database” won’t be filled with incorrect or duplicative records. Improve Outcomes with Better Insights Speaking of getting insights into the hands of the people that need them, Casebook includes a powerful reporting engine that can be used to quickly access the information needed to improve your programs, services offered, and virtually any other information contained in Casebook. Casebook is configurable, and when you add additional dynamic fields to capture data that’s unique to your organization, you can report on those fields. Organizations that collect data through Casebook’s form service and application portal can include data from those forms in dashboards and reports, too. Manage Forms, Documents, Photos, and Appointments Before computers and typewriters, there were forms. After computers and typewriters, there were forms. They just won’t go away. Casebook makes forms easier by allowing you to “DIY” form creation and changes (during implementation we work together on it). You don’t have to explain it to a vendor or wait on someone else – if you have admin permissions you can make the change and roll out a new version of the form. If you already have a lot of paper files or you need to retain photos or handwritten notes, we include the ability to store an unlimited amount of attachments in the Casebook Cloud, powered by AWS S3. There are some minimal costs to pay for the space, but they’re a tiny fraction of the costs of those big floor to ceiling file cabinets! Casebook users can store virtually any document, image, audio, or video file and can also collect those types of files via email, the Casebook form portal, or tools like JotForm that connect with Casebook through Zapier. Casebook can also sync with your company calendar system so you can send invites out to clients from within Casebook and more. Send a Form As mentioned above, users can send a form to collect data. When it’s time to send a client a form, the user adds a task and attaches the form template. When the save the task, the client is sent a secure login link and the user can complete the form as time permits – in one sitting or multiple sittings. Since so much is done by form and the pandemic has restricted in-person meetings, these types of tools have proven very useful. And since reporting can be done from data submitted in these forms, you can implement a remote process that works. Help to Standardize the Process Workers want to do the right thing, but with growing caseloads it’s not surprising many feel overwhelmed. These feelings are compounded when so many people need help but time and resources are limited. Casebook can help through workflows, tasks, in-app notifications and emails that alert the right person at the right time. In an organization that offers a variety of programs, workflows can be created for each of the programs. Once someone has been enrolled in the program, they can be enrolled in a workflow that will assign a collection of tasks broken down into steps. These help guide a worker much like a checklist a pilot would use before takeoff. While that pilot may have taken off 5000 times before, the checklist assures the correct process is being followed, every time.
by Brian Johnson 16 min read

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