Brightpoint is the non-profit community action agency for Northeast Indiana based in Fort Wayne that promotes economic and community development by providing resources, helping people gain access to opportunities, and teaching them the skills they need to become self-sufficient. Their subsidiary, Brightpoint Development Fund (BDF), a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), provides loans to small businesses and individuals who are unable to obtain capital through traditional lending opportunities.
BDF needed a scalable technology platform to simplify daily operations for program staff, increase data transparency across programs, and enhance their reporting. Through a partnership with Provisio, they implemented a Salesforce solution. Salesforce’s Product Management Module (PMM) allows them to track numerous details about their clients and loans, such as contact information and payment information. They can track client progress and see potential loans, active loans, and former loans. Provisio also helped them integrate Outlook with Salesforce so that client communication can take place through one system. By connecting all the information within Salesforce, BDF has a better understanding of their impact in the communities they serve and their status as a CDFI.
“The solution has allowed BDF to tell its story with data for the first time opening many doors for our clients and us. Provisio has been a valuable partner as they understand our needs and financial limits as a nonprofit but still provide an impactful solution.” Matt Crouch, VP of Community and Economic Development at Brightpoint.
And this is just phase one. Brightpoint has taken a very thoughtful approach to their digital transformation. From the beginning of the project, they had a clear vision of what Salesforce could do for them and where they wanted to go but also recognized that change can be daunting. They created a multi-phased approach to their implementation that will help with user adoption and minimize costs. Each new phase over the next couple of years will bring exciting enhancements to the Brightpoint team and the people they serve.
Phase two of the project is well underway. Now that they have Salesforce in place, they are expanding functionality to full manage and service their loan portfolio. DocuSign is another component of this phase; this integration will generate closing documents automatically for each of their loans which can be signed upon closing. To support their team, Brightpoint sent an IT team member to become a certified Salesforce administrator. That individual will help the whole team feel more comfortable and confident utilizing the system.
Brightpoint sets an excellent example for other nonprofits who may not have a large budget at their disposal. A thoughtful, phased approach can be an effective way to manage the budget while also giving employees time to learn and master the new system as it evolves over time.
Marjorie lives in Saint Louis, Missouri. She received her Master’s degree in English from Truman State University. Her responsibilities at Provisio Partners include content creation and technical writing.