Nonprofits Archives - Page 2 of 2

In today’s fast-paced world, finding the right programs and services for those in need can be a daunting task. Findhelp partners with 211 call centers (operated by United Way and other agencies) to bridge this gap by connecting individuals and families with essential resources.

This powerful partnership amplifies our collective impact and serves communities more effectively by:

Sharing information on local programs & services
Using custom messaging on Findhelp platforms to guide seekers to navigation assistance
Providing the technology and database for community care coordination

Aligned Missions

Both Findhelp and 211 call centers share a common goal of connecting people in need with dignified and accessible services. The Findhelp platform has an industry-leading network with an extensive program database that integrates social care into existing systems. The 211 network of more than 200 call centers across the country responds to 21 million requests for help every year. Dialing 211 connects individuals and families to trained professionals who will listen to their stories and understand their needs. Operators will connect them to essential resources in the areas of basic needs, mental health, work supports, youth programming, suicide prevention, and more.

211s are present in local communities across the country. They are operated by United Way, Goodwill, Community Action Partnership agencies, local crisis centers, state governments, and others. By combining our efforts, we can reach more people and make a positive difference in communities across the country.

211 staff and partners provide services to millions of people across the country every year.

Diverse Partnership Models to Support Diverse Communities

These are just a few examples of how Findhelp partners with United Way and 211 to expand our joint impact and serve more people in need. Our work together is tailored to the needs of each community and the specific workflows of the partnering 211 / United Way.

Building Relationships

In partnership with Findhelp, the United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX) launched ConnectATX.org, which acts as a complementary service to the existing 211 call center. The site is part of a broader UWATX effort called the Model Community Initiative, a person-centered framework that brings together various agencies, community clinics, and educational institutions to offer a more holistic delivery of social services.

The ConnectATX platform serves as one of the public-facing entry points for the Model Community system, connecting providers and seekers.
As an extension of 211, ConnectATX care navigation staff spend extra time assessing and connecting seekers to social care.
These navigators use staff-facing Findhelp tools to search for programs, develop ongoing care plans, refer clients, and close the loop on referrals, all while tracking the outcomes and impact of the services provided.

Creating Connections: Mass211 and Massachusetts Medical Centers, and Arkansas 211

Knowing that seekers sometimes prefer (or need) help finding resources, many of our customers choose to add a flyout (pop-up) to their Findhelp platforms that connects individuals directly with a local 211 call center specialist for navigation assistance.

Mass211, the Commonwealth State’s statewide information and referral service, partners with Findhelp to provide phone support for those searching for services on Findhelp platforms. This includes those of our customers Boston Medical Center, the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, UMass Memorial Health Care, and Reliant Medical Group. Each of these organizations added a flyout to their Findhelp platforms with a link to call Mass211.
Similarly in Arkansas, we added a flyout on our free public site, findhelp.org, that guides Arkansan seekers to call the statewide 211 for hands-on assistance and matching to relevant programs, 24/7.

Sharing Information: Inland Empire Health Plan & Inland SoCal United Way / 211

Inland Empire in Southern California is a metropolitan area that includes San Bernardino and Riverside, bordering Los Angeles County. Findhelp partnered with Inland Empire Health Plan and the Inland SoCal 211 through the Inland SoCal United Way. Byto enable community care coordination harnessing Findhelp’s technology combined with United Way’s deep community connections.

Their shared site, Connect IE (powered by Findhelp) serves the social needs of over 4 million Inland Empire residents.
It’s available to all community-based, healthcare, and municipal organizations. This creates a system through which patient and community member data can be securely shared, tracked, and analyzed to best coordinate care and improve outcomes.
For navigators using the ConnectIE platform, this approach allows them to also review referrals made for an individual by any other member of the coalition. Seekers retain the right to opt-in and -out of sharing their personal information with any member of the ConnectIE network.

The Future of Our Partnership: Community Information Exchanges

Following San Diego’s first-of-its-kind Community Information Exchange (CIE) launch, many communities have begun exploring this concept. CIEs play an important role in bringing shared language, a shared resource database, and an integrated technology platform to power the work of local service providers. Communities throughout the country offer a wide array of services to people in need but often act in silos, creating inefficiencies and frustration for seekers who may rely on multiple providers to meet their needs.

211 involvement is central to the concept of a CIE because 211s and United Ways are established community connectors. When Findhelp partners with 211 call centerss, they can serve as the entry point for those seeking services through a CIE, providing a warm hand off and follow-up to an ecosystem of providers working together to better coordinate care.

While CIEs may require longer call times and additional assessments by trained 211 care coordinators, the ultimate goal is to build a longitudinal social care record for the seeker. This approach fosters relationship-building, ensuring the delivery of complex support and the creation of care plans with established goals, using Findhelp’s platform as the portal that securely houses this documentation.

Partnering for a Better Future

When Findhelp partners with 211 call centers it exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing social care challenges. By sharing information, leveraging technology, and promoting community care coordination, we’re making a significant impact on individuals and families in need. As we continue to explore innovative concepts like Community Information Exchanges, together, we’re building a more compassionate and efficient social care ecosystem.

Partner With Us!

Schedule a demo with us to see how we can partner with your organization to support your community!

It’s a turbulent time for the U.S. economy, as layoffs permeate headlines and inflation chips away at Americans’ ability to purchase groceries, fill up the gas tank, and make rent each month. Our team at Findhelp knows that economic pressures can have a profound impact on the organizations that serve people seeking help, especially in the winter months.

Since this time last year, Findhelp searches have increased substantially as more healthcare organizations have begun to address patients’ SDoH care needs, and as food, rent, and gas prices increased, making basic resources more difficult to access. Our data shows a 113.34% increase in money searches, a 105.57% increase in housing searches, a 90.69% increase in transit searches, and a 88.4% increase in food searches since November 2021. As inflation exacerbates social care needs for underserved Americans, we’re dedicated to helping community organizations meet the moment.

Community Organizations Share Their Thoughts & Priorities

To better understand the current situation, we sponsored a survey to help policymakers, business leaders, donors, and members of the public better understand how nonprofits are reckoning with the challenges they’re facing today.

The results of this survey demonstrate that demand for social care services has skyrocketed in the past year, and that the vast majority of community organizations are concerned about their ability to meet the demand for social care services in the current economic climate.

We’re committed to modernizing America’s social safety net by helping connect all people in need and the programs that serve them — with dignity and ease. Our Community Engagement team plans to use this data to design new initiatives to support nonprofits in our network, and we hope that increased awareness about community organizations’ need will inspire donors to contribute to nonprofits and spur policy makers to act on their behalf.

The following is a summary of the questions our survey posed and responses we received from 323 community organization leaders between October 27 and November 7, 2022.

Survey Results

How much has demand for social care services increased among the people you serve within the past year?

An overwhelming majority of nonprofits (95%) said demand for their services has increased in the past year. 61% of respondents said demand has increased “substantially.” Less than 1% of respondents said they saw a decrease in demand, and only 4% said demand remained the same.

Do you expect an uptick in demand for help you provide as we get closer to the holiday season in November and December?

While nearly every organization experienced an increase in demand over the past year, a vast majority (82%) also expects demand to continue increasing through the 2022 holiday season.

How has amount fundraised changed since last year

How has the amount you’ve fundraised changed since this time last year?

Fundraising at nonprofits has not kept up with the increase in demand for services over the past year. In fact, two-thirds (66%) said that fundraising has either stayed the same or decreased as they deal with soaring demand.

How do you feel about what 2023 holds for your organization’s funding streams and ability to meet an increased demand for social care services in the current economic climate?

With fundraising levels that lag far behind the increasing demand for services, 76% of respondents said they are concerned about what the economic climate means for their organization in the coming year.

Do you anticipate there may be budget cuts/layoffs at your non-profit this year or next year that could impact your ability to help people in need?

Despite a forecast for challenging times ahead, nearly half (48%) of respondents said they do not expect to cut staff or budgets. Only 19% believed they would have to cut staff or budgets.

What are your major goals for 2023? Please check all that apply.

When asked what their goals are for the next year, the most frequent answer, indicated by 83%, was to “increase fundraising / development / donor recruitment.”

Would it be helpful if you had easy access to a technology platform that could eliminate red tape and get people in need immediate access to specific social care services?

Less than a third of nonprofits (29%) indicated that they currently use a technology platform to get people help. 25% said they use a platform already and find it to be helpful. 39% don’t use a technology platform yet, but think it would be helpful to have one.

What is the average response turnaround time when your organization receives a new application, inquiry, or referral for someone in need of your services?

Most nonprofits (73%) say that their average response time to people seeking help is less than two business days.

When turnaround times are longer, what is the main factor contributing to delays?

The biggest reason for longer turnaround times is staffing shortages, indicated by 52% of respondents.

Respondent Profile

What is your primary role at your organization?

Nearly half of all respondents were executives (46%) or board members (2%). 11% of respondents served in a community support role, 5% worked in marketing, 4% worked in fundraising, and 31% in “other.”

What is your level of seniority at your organization?

68% of all respondents were at senior-level or above (26% senior-level, 36% executive, and 6% board of directors). 24% of respondents were mid-level employees, and 8% were entry-level.

What type of communities does your organization currently serve?

The majority of respondents say their organizations serve city or urban communities (69%). Over half of all respondents serve suburban communities (59%) and rural communities (56%), showing a diversity of types of communities served among respondents.

What type of services does your organization provide? (select all that apply)

56% of respondent organizations provide support services/case management, 45% provide housing/rental/utility assistance, and 25% provide financial assistance. Other prominent categories included healthcare (23%), transportation (21%), employment training (19%), and “other” (43%).

Findhelp is the company modernizing America’s social safety net for anyone who needs help or helps others. With the largest network of community-based organizations and proprietary technology that intelligently matches people with the resources they need, findhelp is the fastest and most reliable way to get help with privacy and dignity. Findhelp is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has been enabling healthcare, government, education and other organizations to connect people with the social care resources that serve them since 2010.

To get in touch about the results of this survey, please contact us.

Tag: Nonprofits

Social Care Coordination: Findhelp Partners with 211 & United Way