This project, Donor and Volunteer Management Software Upgrade, led by 6:8, Inc. strengthened the organization’s ability to support individuals and families experiencing poverty in the Sauk Prairie area by modernizing its operational infrastructure. Through the implementation of an integrated donor, volunteer, communications and fundraising system, 6:8 replaced multiple disconnected platforms with a centralized solution that streamlined processes, improved data management, and enhanced engagement with donors and volunteers.
The Challenge
6:8, Inc. is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to reducing poverty in the Sauk Prairie area through relationship-centered programming that emphasizes dignity, social support and long-term stability. By partnering with individuals and families experiencing financial, social and housing instability, the organization works to build social capital, strengthen financial literacy and foster sustainable pathways out of poverty. Over more than a decade, 6:8 has also served as a critical bridge between residents, community organizations and local leaders, helping to align resources and elevate community-driven solutions.
In recent years, demand for these services has grown substantially, with significant increases in program participation, donors and volunteers. While this growth reflects the organization’s strong community impact, it has also exposed key operational challenges. 6:8 currently relies on more than ten separate systems to manage donor engagement, volunteer coordination, communications and fundraising efforts, resulting in fragmented workflows and inefficiencies. This lack of integrated infrastructure limits the organization’s ability to effectively track engagement, analyze data and respond to community needs in real time. It also places a considerable administrative burden on staff, diverting time and resources away from direct service delivery and relationship-building.
As the organization prepares for continued expansion, including plans for a larger facility and new housing initiatives, these challenges pose a risk to long-term sustainability. Without a more streamlined and centralized system, 6:8 may struggle to scale its operations, maintain strong donor and volunteer relationships and continue delivering the high-quality, relationship-based support that is central to its work in addressing poverty.
Project Goals
To address the challenge, the goal of this project is to strengthen 6:8, Inc.’s operational systems to support growth, improve efficiency and enhance engagement with donors and volunteers. More specifically, project goals were to:
Implement an integrated donor, volunteer, communications and fundraising software system within a six-month period to replace multiple disconnected platforms.
Increase organizational efficiency by automating tasks, reducing manual data entry and improving how information is organized and shared across the organization.
Enhance data collection and evaluation capacity through centralized systems to better track trends in programming and fundraising and enable real-time, data-informed decision-making.
Strengthen donor engagement and financial sustainability by improving donor tracking, increasing recurring giving and automating communications.
Improve volunteer management and engagement by consolidating multiple systems, better tracking volunteer hours, enabling mobile access and automating scheduling and communication.
Support long-term growth and scalability by building the infrastructure needed to expand services, increase the number of donors and volunteers and sustain future programming, including planned facility and housing expansions.
Results
Through this project, 6:8, Inc. successfully implemented an integrated donor, volunteer, communication and fundraising software system, replacing 10 separate applications with a single, centralized platform. This transition significantly increased organizational efficiency by streamlining processes across bookkeeping, volunteer management, donor development and fundraising, allowing staff to redirect time toward programmatic work and direct service. The new system also improved data quality and accessibility, resulting in cleaner donor records, more detailed reporting and a stronger ability to track and respond to program and funding needs in real time. Volunteer coordination became more organized and efficient, despite some initial transition challenges. Additionally, the organization strengthened its fundraising capacity and responsiveness, demonstrated by its ability to prioritize donors and raised $635,000 in just four weeks to purchase two homes for program participants. Communication capabilities were also enhanced, enabling rapid creation of targeted outreach materials and more personalized donor engagement across multiple platforms.
Lasting Impact
This project has had a lasting impact on 6:8’s organizational capacity and long-term sustainability. By building a centralized and efficient infrastructure, the organization is now better positioned to respond quickly to emerging opportunities, such as securing housing for participants, directly advancing its mission to address poverty and housing instability. The investment in software has increased overall organizational agility and scalability, allowing 6:8 to support future growth, including expanded housing initiatives and increased service delivery across Columbia, Dane and Sauk counties. Securing funding to maintain the software over multiple years ensures continued operational stability.
