CASA board member and advocate Jeff Roedersheimer lights up when he talks about data. A self-proclaimed tech and data nerd, he’s brimming with ideas about how information can drive better outcomes for kids. “How can we use data to serve children more effectively? To secure more funding? To learn what’s working—and what isn’t?” he asks.
With these questions in mind, CASA recently completed an internal Business Process Review to identify ways to streamline staff time, increase efficiency, and align processes with strategic goals. “We wanted to analyze where advocate supervisors were spending their time and pinpoint bottlenecks,” explains CASA CEO Regan Dean Phillip.
“PIMCO invited us to join a three-week pro bono sprint to assess our case management needs, which ultimately led to a recommendation to migrate to Salesforce,” says Regan. The review confirmed what staff already suspected: CASA’s existing software was slowing productivity. Frequent crashes stalled work for days, customer support was minimal, and reporting tools couldn’t be customized to track outcomes. “The system was inexpensive, but its limitations and unreliability held us back,” Regan explains.
After evaluating alternatives, CASA secured a grant to invest in a more robust system. The new Salesforce-based platform, branded The Advocate Hub, provides a centralized, customizable database for CASA volunteers and staff. Regan notes, “Our long-term goal is to use this database to generate reports and share best practices across the CASA network. If we can demonstrate CASA’s ROI with stronger data, it lifts the entire network and makes fundraising easier statewide.”
Jeff is an enthusiastic champion of the shift. “Nonprofits spend very little on technology — CASA invests about 1% of its budget,” he points out. “Look at sports teams: they crunch massive amounts of data to build the best rosters. Why aren’t nonprofits doing the same?”
CASA Chief Program Officer, Jenny Leon reports, “CASA volunteers have mostly responded positively to The Advocate Hub. They like its intuitive design and the convenience of having everything in one place. We know there’s room to improve efficiency and user experience, and the platform allows us to make ongoing enhancements and introduce new features. Our team continues to explore additional ways to support staff and volunteers as they adapt to this new system.”
For Jeff, the potential is transformational: “We don’t need to worry about turning a profit—we just need to help children survive and inspire them to thrive. How can we use technology to pair CASAs with youth for stronger matches? To prove that kids with a CASA are more likely to graduate, get jobs, avoid homelessness or incarceration? With data to back that up, how can people not want to support us?”