The Friction: When Manual Processes Mask Meaningful Impact
The Abortion Rights Fund of Western Massachusetts (ARFWM) operates in a high-stakes environment where timing and security are everything. Coordinating financial and logistical support for abortion access requires a delicate dance between a small staff and a rotating team of volunteers. Before partnering with Undaunted, their workflow was a source of constant friction. Their case management software did not really meet their needs, and it made financials harder to track, impacting efficiency, data accuracy, and response times.
The Strategy: Bespoke Automation as Empowerment
At Undaunted, we believe technology should empower nonprofit teams to work more effectively and advance their mission. For ARFWM, the project lead David Dunn designed a bespoke Salesforce case management system centered on the human experience of their volunteers and staff.
The biggest bottleneck we identified was communication. When volunteers needed to escalate a case for urgent needs like hotel bookings or transportation, they had to rely on manual texts or emails to the fund’s staff. As Grace Ramsay, Director of Client Services, noted,
“The previous system meant that there was just more friction. But now that it’s actually integrated into the system and the follow-up is just clicking one thing, it means that less is missed and there’s a more equal opportunity for all of our callers to get referrals to those additional services we provide.”
One cannot expect volunteers to master a piece of software that they do not use every day. At first we set up a step-by-step flow that followed the “script” laid out in the volunteer handbook, but this proved to be too rigid. We listened to volunteer feedback and quickly switched to a leaner flow that gave volunteers more flexibility. Grace shared that
“David pivoted really well and made the adjustments that we needed that’s really unique to our work given that we have a lot of volunteers who are using Salesforce and he was really sensitive to that.”
That is why we always provide at least six weeks of support after we launch a new system. We understand there is a difference between theory and practice. Serving our clients means being there to make updates based on user feedback.
The Win: A Foundation for Growth
The transition has been a total shift in the organization’s capacity. By consolidating their tools, ARFWM has cut the time they spend in manual data entry and freed up more energy for strategic analysis. The team now saves several hours of administrative work every single week.
“It’s just night and day. Having one software that we’re using to track everything has been huge,” Grace noted. “Before this, we were in a few different systems. Having everything in one place, having the dashboard, having a clear place for staff to see when things are moving along or being able to catch issues as they come up has been excellent.”
ARFWM now has more room to grow. They are no longer limited by a system that does not align with their needs. With custom reports that track everything from counties served to unmet needs, they are better equipped to secure future funding. Grace emphasized the long-term value, stating,
“It’ll be much easier to apply for and report on different grant streams, which is huge for us because we’re a small nonprofit and any money we can get is great. Historically, a deterrent has been the capacity of managing those grants.”
The Conclusion: A "Night and Day" Difference
At Undaunted Consulting we believe that the purpose of technology is to free up human capacity. If you give people more time and energy, they can do more meaningful work. This unleashes tremendous power to advance their mission and make their goals a reality.
“I think it’s just a huge value to be able to not feel stressed or overwhelmed by working in a system all day. That is immeasurable really. David just did a really good job capturing what we needed and turning our ideas into something that was tangible.”
Grace Ramsay, MPH (she/her), Director of Client Services, ARFWM
David J. Dunn
David is the founder of Undaunted Consulting. He specializes in data management system optimization and rapid app development for social service, social justice, and environmental justice nonprofits. Click here to learn more about David’s background and expertise!