01:26 - Certainly. About nine years ago, I was brought in as a consultant to reorganize CASL's philanthropic program and enhance its fundraising efforts. My background initially started in community mental health, and I quickly moved up the ranks to executive positions. With over a decade of experience in leadership and philanthropy, I focused on engaging high-level donors and managing major gifts. CASL's co-founders were looking to retire, and I was brought on board permanently to lead the development efforts. Eventually, I was asked to step into the role of Chief Operating Officer, which combines my clinical, programmatic, and operational expertise. In this position, I oversee all programs, including think tanks, finance, facilities, and behavioral health initiatives. Additionally, I manage significant projects like expanding into healthcare and acquiring new campus locations.

04:24 - My journey towards the non-profit sector began during college when I initially ventured into the healthcare industry. As one of the first patient care technicians in Illinois, I balanced multiple roles to support my education. Initially drawn to trauma medicine, I eventually gravitated towards the clinical psychology aspect of human behavior. Since then, my entire career has been dedicated to the non-profit sector. Even during brief stints in for-profit roles, I served as a consultant to non-profit organizations. For me, the decision to focus on non-profit work stems from a desire to give back and make a meaningful impact. Growing up in a rural farming community as the first in my family to attend college and earn a graduate degree, I've always felt fortunate for the opportunities presented to me. This sense of gratitude fuels my commitment to not only assist individuals and families, particularly at CASL with our think tanks but also to drive systemic change. Leveraging technology, such as disaggregated data, allows us to break down barriers and enhance our practices for better service delivery.

06:30 - Around five years ago, we recognized the need to streamline our systems and break down silos within CASL. Partnering with Salesforce, we implemented a comprehensive CRM system across all our programs, ensuring consistency and efficiency in our operations. This allowed us to delve into social determinants of health, enabling a deeper understanding of community needs and informing data-driven practices. For instance, through data analysis, we discovered that the community's issue wasn't under banking as assumed but rather a lack of credit due to a cash-based culture. This insight led to a refinement of our housing education programs, focusing on building credit rather than just savings. By tracking pre-, mid-, and post-credit checks over nine months, we've seen significant improvements in credit scores for our clients. This data-driven approach has not only challenged assumptions but also empowered our staff to tailor their interventions for better outcomes, fostering a more transformational rather than transactional approach to social work.

10:21 - One example is our homebuyer education program, where we assist approximately 110 families annually in purchasing homes. Through this program, we've observed a significant increase in clients' understanding of the home-buying process, with an average knowledge gain of 30 points. Moreover, we've seen remarkable behavior change in credit scores, with clients typically improving from zero to 720 within nine months. About 75% of participating families successfully purchase homes. Additionally, we've launched Change Insight, a collaborative initiative with 18 organizations nationwide, focusing on the social drivers of health. Through empathic inquiry training and data aggregation, we provide valuable insights into community needs, particularly among diverse ethnic populations. By disaggregating and disseminating this data, we empower communities to advocate for their specific needs with policymakers, ensuring more targeted and effective interventions. This approach not only amplifies community voices but also enhances the validity and reliability of advocacy efforts.

14:45 - While there wasn't a single "aha" moment, adopting a three-year strategic plan three years ago was transformative. We used data to inform strategic decisions, allowing us to serve people more comprehensively. For instance, instead of merely addressing immediate needs like energy assistance, data-driven insights prompted us to explore additional ways to support clients. This approach not only enabled us to grow from 19 to 29 programs in three years but also increased our budget and staffing significantly. Moreover, leveraging real-time data has strengthened relationships with philanthropic leaders, shifting conversations from grant deliverables to trust-based philanthropy and collaborative impact. With data guiding our actions, we can proactively address challenges and pivot our strategies, ultimately fostering greater efficiency and impact.

18:30 - Non-profit leadership isn't just about helping clients from 9 to 5; it's complex and demands a broad skill set. As someone who's navigated this space for 25 years, I've witnessed its increasing complexity, with added governance and compliance. For aspiring leaders, I emphasize the importance of being well-rounded and empowering your team while ensuring accountability. Personal growth is key too. Last year, I worked with an executive coach who helped me transition from being the go-to person to empowering my team. Adaptability and openness to criticism are vital for professional and personal growth. So, embrace change, coach, and inspire— that's the path to success in the non-profit world.

21:20 - AI holds promise in assisting with tech-driven tasks like data visualization to aid decision-making for staff. However, its potential for direct client assistance remains limited due to the essential human-centric aspect of social services. While AI can generate insights into client and community needs, it can't replace the empathetic human interface required in social work. The focus should be on leveraging AI to enhance caseworkers' efficiency and decision-making, not replacing their role in human connection. In healthcare, combining AI insights with human intervention can potentially identify critical concerns and guide interventions to prevent medical events from derailing financial and life goals.

25:14 - There's a growing interest in leveraging data, especially in our think tanks, to drive organizational and community transformation. For instance, our involvement in the South Side Health Equity Collaborative demonstrates our commitment to utilizing data lakes and Salesforce to coordinate care among multiple providers. However, it's crucial to recognize that successful implementation isn't just about technology—it's about workplace culture. We emphasize the importance of staff engagement and empowerment, with efforts focused on building ambassadors, fostering sandbox experimentation, and integrating program language into our tech team. Our approach prioritizes people over tools, ensuring that technology serves as a facilitator for our mission-driven work.

30:00 - To garner support from our executive team for prioritizing people in technology enhancements, I initiated conversations with our board of directors. I underscored the evolving landscape of philanthropy, emphasizing the increasing importance of data-informed decision-making to demonstrate impact effectively. I highlighted the potential of technology to not only streamline processes but also to deepen our community impact by offering more comprehensive support tailored to individual needs. While there was initial apprehension about the investment, ongoing discussions and the visible outcomes of our data-driven approach gradually won over even the most skeptical members of the team. Today, technology, particularly our Salesforce platform, is deeply ingrained in our organizational culture, facilitating our mission to serve communities effectively.