Empowering Change: Atlanta Angels, King & Spalding, and Apparo’s Technology Transformation Journey
Wrapping Up a Season of Impact
Recently, Atlanta Angels, with the help of Apparo and King & Spalding, wrapped up a journey to build a comprehensive technology plan that will shape the future of the nonprofit. This wasn’t just about tech; it was about people coming together, sharing expertise, and setting Atlanta Angels up for even greater impact.
A mission to support Atlanta’s Children in Foster Care
This community impact project was designed to build a technology plan so Atlanta Angel’s staff can focus on what’s important, their mission. The Atlanta Angels mission is to walk alongside children, youth, and families in the foster care community by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship.
The nonprofit team included:
- Stephen Newland
- Christie Simons
- Ashley Hackel
King & Spalding volunteers included:
- Todd Catron
- LaToya Bailey
- Salma Causey
- Arnold Slaughter
- Jon Ricard
The Challenge: Bridging Gaps for Growth
When Atlanta Angels first reached out, they were juggling a lot including fragmented systems, a disjointed CRM, limited reporting, and concerns about scaling up. These hurdles slowed down their ability to focus on their mission, and we knew we could help.
Our Approach: Listen, Assess, Recommend
We started by listening. The King & Spalding volunteers dove deep, assessing 12 to 16 different technology domains. They then mapped out what was working, what wasn’t, and where the biggest opportunities for change and growth could occur. The result? Actionable recommendations focused on solutions that would make a difference right away to set Atlanta Angels up for long-term success.
Year One: Quick Wins and Strategic Moves
Here is what the King & Spalding volunteers prioritized for the first year:
- Upgrading to Windows 11 for better security and performance
- Exploring alternatives to Dropbox
- Securing the website and rolling out basic SEO strategies
- Reviewing the Neon platform for clearer data
- Enhancing outreach with new email templates
- Improving volunteer tracking
- And always keeping an eye on the future by leveraging the cloud and evaluating new system capabilities
How these implementations will impact the nonprofit:
- More efficient operations, so staff can focus on what matters most
- Stronger cybersecurity and better password policies
- A search-optimized website and clean data to reach more people
- Faster follow-up and clearer insights to serve clients even better
Gratitude from the Team
Ashley Hackel shared, “I’ve been so grateful to the King & Spalding volunteers and Apparo. This project has been insightful and helpful as we examine our organization from so many different sides and dive deeper. I am so appreciative of the expertise from the volunteer team.”
Christie added, “Thank you so much to Apparo and all the King and Spalding volunteers. I’m so grateful for your diligence, time, and expertise that you so generously shared with us. I’m confident this project will help scale and grow our nonprofit. Thank you for using your unique talents to contribute to our mission. We are truly better together.”
Latoya Bailey reflected, “I enjoyed working on this project. It was nice to be able to extend our expertise outside of King and Spalding. As my first time working as a volunteer for a project like this, I’m glad to see that it’s had a very positive impact already.”
Looking Ahead
The journey doesn’t end here. As Atlanta Angels puts these recommendations into action, Apparo will be there to support them including a check-in next year to see how things are going and potentially tackle new challenges together.
Want to Get Involved?
If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, subscribe to Apparo’s email list or reach out. There are always opportunities to make a difference.
