When LGBTQ Outdoors signed up for our free Pride Month services, they were dealing with a problem we see all the time: registration was complicated, manual, and spread across too many tools. Staff were juggling spreadsheets, Google Forms, and separate payment platforms, so much so that they needed an extra volunteer just to keep registration running.
They knew there had to be a better way. They just didn’t have the time or internal capacity to build it. So we started the way we always do: by listening.
Starting With Understanding
Before recommending any tools or solutions, we focused on learning how registration actually worked day-to-day. The project lead Josué walked through their workflows, pain points, and goals to understand what was slowing the team down and where things were breaking. As the Executive Director, Justin Yoder, put it:
“We didn’t even know exactly what we needed or wanted going into it. So, Josué was able to help us out a lot in understanding our needs and what would work best for us.”
That early collaboration allowed us to design a system that matched how the team worked, what tools they had available, and how they could scale over time.
Reducing Manual Work
One of the biggest challenges was that registration and payment lived in completely separate systems. Information had to be manually merged, double-checked, and cleaned up, which created unnecessary stress and room for error.
“We had a registration form and then we had a payment [run] through a different company. We did have two different programs that we had to merge into that spreadsheet.”
Our recommendation was simple: bring everything into one place: we built a Salesforce registration form integrated directly with Stripe so participants could register and pay in a single step.
For the team, the impact was immediate:
Now we are using Stripe that is built into the registration form. So when they register, they pay all together. So, it simplified the workflow and cut down one of those programs.”
The new system automatically calculates totals, supports multiple registrants at once, and centralizes payment data. Manual work dropped dramatically, and the team no longer needed a dedicated volunteer just to manage registration.
System Setup and Configuration
As the system came together, we worked closely with staff to make sure it reflected how they actually needed registration to work. Josué partnered with the team to adjust forms in real time, map data accurately, and fine-tune the setup to handle both common and unusual scenarios.
“A lot of what we were doing for registration for Outdoor Fest was done through spreadsheets. So, we were doing a lot of manual copying and pasting from when people registered over to Google Sheets, which now we won’t have to do any of that. So, it’s going to save us a ton of time.”
Instead of managing spreadsheets and manual handoffs, staff can now rely on a system that handles registration and payments automatically and consistently.
Less Work, Less Stress
Beyond time savings, the biggest win was how much lighter the workload felt. By consolidating tools, automating calculations, and centralizing data, the team experienced eased pressure.
“Just the amount of work that we’re doing [now] and just simplifying it and streamlining things has been huge. It has provided a lot of mental relief to the team.”
We also outlined options for future automation and improvements, giving the organization a clear path forward without overwhelming them.
A True Partnership
Throughout the project, the team emphasized how collaborative the experience felt. Their feedback was consistently incorporated, and the solution was tailored to their reality, not a generic setup. When describing our work, Justin said, “Overall, it’s been fantastic! Josué did a great job — communicated well!”
The Results
By the end of the engagement, the Outdoor Fest team had:
- Eliminated an entire volunteer role
- Removed hours of manual data entry
- Consolidated multiple tools into one system
- Streamlined registration and payments
- Reduced stress and cognitive load for staff
As Justin Yoder summed it up:
“[Undaunted’s work] is going to give us more time to focus on the event itself without having to put so much focus into registration. You guys were great to work with. Really great in helping us figure out what we need, when we weren’t even sure what we needed, to be able to make things better. So, I definitely recommend you guys to anybody.”
Looking Ahead
What started as a fragmented, manual process is now a streamlined, scalable system that staff actually enjoy using. With Salesforce and Stripe working together, and the team confident in the setup, LGBTQ Outdoors can focus on what matters most: creating an incredible experience for their community.
Josué Cardona
Josué is a Consultant at Undaunted Consulting. He holds degrees in both engineering technology and mental health counseling, and has firsthand nonprofit experience as a founder himself. He specializes in data management, workflow automation, and website design for nonprofits. Click here to learn more about Josué’s background and expertise!