Cambodian Legacy Project: Stronger Grant Tracking and a New Website
The Cambodian Legacy Project is a Charlotte nonprofit that preserves Cambodian heritage and helps Asian American communities thrive across generations. It offers Khmer language and traditional dance classes, cultural workshops, youth leadership programs, and supportive services, including culturally relevant food for families in need. Kaovny Jonas, Co-Founder and CEO of the Cambodian Legacy Project, describes it as a grassroots organization. She explained, “We built everything from the ground up, so learning to navigate Google Workspace was something I definitely wanted to do so we could use it much more efficiently.”
Grant Budget Tracking and Website Needs at a Grassroots Nonprofit
Kaovny learned about Apparo through a cohort program and identified two priorities: using Google Workspace more effectively and updating the organization’s website. Through its Tech Therapy® program, Apparo Technology Advisor Jerri Grant coordinated two engagements, matching Kaovny with a skilled volunteer for each need.
Tech Therapy Engagement One: Google Workspace Training and Grant Budget Spreadsheets
As Cambodian Legacy Project expanded its programs and secured multiple grants, the organization needed more efficient systems to track expenditures, monitor remaining balances, and strengthen financial accountability. With multiple funding sources supporting different initiatives, Kaovny recognized the importance of developing a more streamlined approach to grant budget management. She also had to type each team member’s email address one by one whenever she wanted to reach the whole team.
Early in 2026, Jerri matched Kaovny with Steve Maykowski, an Apparo skilled volunteer who walked her through Google Workspace step by step. Together they built a separate Google Sheets budget for each grant. Each one shows what was allocated, what has been spent, and what’s left. Steve also set up group email addresses, so one message now reaches the whole organization. He shared tips on protecting the organization’s privacy and security in Workspace, too.
Months later, Kaovny shares, “I use these spreadsheets daily. Without the help of Apparo and my volunteer, I would still be using a calculator all the time. Now we have reliable numbers in our spreadsheets.”
The payoff goes beyond saving time. With clearer financial reporting, CLP can better monitor available resources, anticipate emerging community needs, and make informed decisions about how to allocate eligible funding while honoring each grant’s requirements. These improvements help the organization plan responsibly and respond more effectively to the families it serves.
As CLP continues to expand its Khmer language education, traditional Cambodian dance, cultural programming, and health and wellness initiatives, these technology improvements provide a stronger foundation for serving families, engaging supporters, and sustaining its mission.
Cambodian Legacy Project and Apparo!
Tech Therapy Engagement Two: A Mobile-Friendly Website Redesign on Wix
Kaovny’s second need was the organization’s website. It had first been built in Canva, which meant republishing the whole site after every change. To help more people find them in online searches, the team moved to Wix “Every time I sent someone to our website, I felt there wasn’t enough information for people to learn about us,” Kaovny said. “It needed a facelift.”
Kaovny had looked into another free nonprofit website program. It couldn’t start until later in the year, though, and her site couldn’t wait. So Jerri matched her with Lindsey Epps, Sr Data Engineer at Duke Energy. Lindsey worked with Kaovny and Kim Lam, Co-Founder and COO of the Cambodian Legacy Project.
Lindsey recommended what content should go where, such as programs versus events. She also suggested layout changes so the site clearly shares the organization’s message. She applied the organization’s brand colors, improved accessibility, made the site mobile-friendly, and helped connect the donation page. At the end of the engagement in July, she showed Kaovny how to update the site herself on the Wix back end. As a result, the organization can now keep its own website current without outside help. “I am thankful Lindsey stepped in,” Kaovny said. “She made our website look so much cleaner and more attractive.”
Mobile access was especially important for this community. “Most of us search the web on our phones now,” Kaovny explained. “At our events, we have QR codes that say ‘connect with us,’ and people pull up our website right then and there.” Now, when families, supporters, or future skilled volunteers scan that code, they find a site that truly represents the Cambodian Legacy Project and its mission. Beyond completing the immediate projects, the volunteers equipped CLP’s leadership with the knowledge and confidence to independently maintain its grant-tracking tools and digital presence.
Kaovny summed up what the partnership has meant to her: “As a grassroots nonprofit where funds are limited, we’ve received so much training and so much help from Apparo. The skilled volunteers are amazing. Knowing they’re there voluntarily, putting in the work to help us, is so heartwarming.” For Cambodian Legacy Project, this partnership represents more than technological improvements. It is an investment in the organization’s long-term sustainability. With stronger financial systems and a more accessible digital presence, CLP is better positioned to expand its programs, strengthen relationships with funders, and continue preserving Cambodian culture for future generations.
To learn more about Apparo’s Tech Therapy program, visit this link.
