Nonprofit Case Management System Design
Expertise
Platforms
Deliverables
Website
Visit website
Project Overview
This nonprofit organization serves at-risk youth and families across British Columbia. Each year, hundreds of cases are opened—ranging from short-term family support to long-term engagement with vulnerable youth. Staff were using ad hoc spreadsheets and documents to track cases, making it difficult to manage records, protect data, and meet reporting obligations from funders and government agencies.
The organization needed a centralized, secure case management system that could track multi-session engagements per family, log complex service histories, and provide clean, accurate reporting to funders. We were brought in to design a system that would not only support front-line service delivery, but also meet the high standards of privacy, accountability, and scalability required in the nonprofit sector.
Execution
We designed and delivered a lightweight but robust system tailored to their frontline team’s needs and technical comfort level:
- Canvas App Design for Daily Use
Developed a Power Apps Canvas App to track cases from intake to closure. The interface supports quick case lookups, interaction logs, referrals, and demographic capture—without overwhelming non-technical users. - Secure Role-Based Access
Sensitive case data is protected through Dataverse role-based security. Program managers, staff, and administrative users each have scoped access to relevant records only. - Multi-Interaction Logging & Narratives
Designed the data model to handle ongoing, many-to-one case interactions, allowing staff to maintain a detailed narrative over time for each youth or family. - Simplified Reporting & Dashboards
Used Power Automate and embedded Power BI dashboards to streamline monthly and annual reporting for internal tracking and funder requirements. - Scalable Architecture
The system is designed to expand as programs evolve—capable of tracking new service types, funder-specific KPIs, or additional team roles.
Results
The new system dramatically improved the client’s ability to manage cases and demonstrate impact:
- Centralized all case data in one secure platform
Eliminated the need for spreadsheets, email logs, and paper forms. - Improved consistency and accuracy of data
Structured forms and dropdowns replaced open-text fields, reducing data-entry errors. - Simplified funder and grant reporting
Dashboards provide on-demand access to engagement stats, demographic summaries, and outcomes by program type or location. - Strengthened visibility across programs
Program managers and directors can now view service trends, overdue follow-ups, and overall caseloads by region.
This system empowered the organization to better serve families, secure future funding, and operate with confidence in their data.