In the small town of Woodruff, Wisconsin, Recovery Pathways is making a significant impact on individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders. Created to bridge critical gaps in services and community support, the organization provides essential resources for people navigating the challenging journey of recovery, as well as support for families of those still in the using cycle or finding their path to sobriety.
As a relatively new organization, Recovery Pathways initially faced significant challenges in managing its growing network of donors, volunteers, and constituents in fulfillment of its mission to create sustainable recovery solutions in northern Wisconsin. Enter Catchafire, an AHW-funded platform that connects AHW community partners with skilled professional volunteers.
Like many growing nonprofits, Recovery Pathways found themselves at a crossroads. Their mission was gaining traction and community support, but their organizational infrastructure hadn't kept up with their growth. The organization didn’t have an efficient system to track and manage relationships with donors, volunteers, and the people they serve.
"As we are brand new, we needed to strengthen our organizational foundation to open doors for funding, donations, and much more," explains Heather Gehrig, executive director of Recovery Pathways.
The organization recognized that implementing a proper customer relationship management (CRM) system would be essential to its long-term sustainability and growth. However, as a small nonprofit with limited resources, they faced an obstacle: the high cost of CRM implementation and the technical expertise it would require.
Through their partnership with AHW and access to Catchafire, Recovery Pathways was able to address their technical challenges head-on. They posted a customer database set-up project request on the Catchafire platform, seeking help to establish a system that would efficiently track their donor, volunteer, and constituent database needs.
The project was matched with Michele T., a creative brand, marketing, and communications professional from Saint Paul, Minnesota, with extensive experience in database administration and information technology. Michele brought valuable expertise in implementing and managing CRM systems, database schema design, and light coding: the exact skills Recovery Pathways needed.
For the 50-hour project, Michele set up a comprehensive CRM system tailored to Recovery Pathways’ specific needs. The collaboration was invaluable, not only in terms of the technical solution delivered but also in the knowledge transfer that occurred.
"This project has transformed how we operate," shares Heather. "The new CRM system allows us to better track and nurture our relationships with donors and volunteers, which is crucial for our sustainability."
The financial impact was equally significant. Recovery Pathways estimated that the project saved them $10,792, resources they can now redirect toward their core mission of serving individuals in recovery. This represents just part of the $27,624 the organization has saved across ten projects they’ve posted on Catchafire.
Implementing the CRM system has generated benefits that extend far beyond improved data management. With better tracking, Recovery Pathways can now personalize their outreach efforts, measure the effectiveness of their programs, and demonstrate their impact to potential funders.
"Our organization will be able to be seen, and as we are brand new, this could open so many doors for us—funding, donations, and so much more," explains Heather. "The money saved allows us to focus on serving our recoverees with help for their needs, which is why we are here."
Recovery Pathways' success story illustrates the powerful impact that skilled volunteers can have on community health organizations. As an AHW community partner, their access to Catchafire has provided them with professional expertise that would otherwise be out of reach for an emerging nonprofit.
This partnership highlights AHW's commitment to strengthening Wisconsin's health ecosystem beyond traditional grant funding. In the fiscal year 2024 alone, Catchafire facilitated 2,022 volunteer hours across 136 completed projects, resulting in $438,912 in savings for AHW-supported organizations.
For eligible community-based AHW-funded projects, local health departments, and health-focused non-profits in Wisconsin, Catchafire provides opportunities to enhance organizational capacity and extend their impact. To learn more about how Catchafire can benefit your organization through your partnership with AHW, contact Amanda Fraser at afraser@mcw.edu or visit https://info.ahwendowment.org/catchafire.