When Ilona stepped into her role as COO at Massachusetts-based nonprofit GenUnity, she had a clear vision: expand the organization’s programming and reach. She knew the demand was there - and the impact could be greater - but outdated internal systems were holding them back.
GenUnity equips community members to drive change on pressing issues like health equity, housing justice, and environmental justice. Through a 10-week flagship program, GenUnity brings together people most impacted by these challenges with institutional leaders, creating collaborative solutions that continue through an active alumni network.
GenUnity’s operations were weighed down by inefficiencies. Program attendance, stipend payments, and engagement records were all tracked manually across separate Airtable bases that didn’t connect with one another. Staff spent hours reconciling spreadsheets, often leading to duplication, incomplete data, and difficulty proving impact.
“We’re a startup. We’re trying to grow and secure funding. To prove the work you’re doing, you need strong data - and we couldn’t tell our full story because our data wasn’t in one place,” Ilona shared.
Where talent meets purpose
In search of support, GenUnity posted a Catchafire project to migrate from Airtable to Salesforce. At first, Ilona hesitated, wondering if it was realistic to expect a volunteer to complete such a complex project. But their match exceeded every expectation.
The volunteer brought not only technical Salesforce expertise but also a deep understanding of how nonprofits work. Rather than simply migrating data, they redesigned workflows, streamlined processes, and trained staff to ensure the system was built for GenUnity’s needs.
The results were transformational. With Salesforce in place, GenUnity eliminated hundreds of hours of manual work. Attendance and stipends are now tracked automatically, with dashboards that flag when action is needed. What once required countless spreadsheets now happens seamlessly.
Most importantly, these efficiencies enabled GenUnity to scale.
“We wanted to move from running one cohort at a time to running multiple programs concurrently. Without Catchafire, we would have had to hire another employee and pull funds from programming. Because of this project, we didn’t have to. That’s huge for a growing nonprofit like ours,” said Ilona.
The new system also gave GenUnity’s young team more opportunities to grow.
“So much of the entry-level admin work is now automated. Our team - who are early in their careers - can focus more on big-picture projects. That not only helps us as an organization, but it also helps with retention, because people feel challenged and invested,” Ilona reflected.
Words of advice for other nonprofits
For Ilona, the key was simply getting started.
“I hesitated at first, but once we tried, it was incredible. My advice to other nonprofits is: just start by looking through the Catchafire projects, pick one that fits your needs, and have a conversation. You might be surprised by the quality of talent and passion you find.”
Thanks to MassMutual Foundation
This success story was made possible by the MassMutual Foundation, which provides its grantees with free access to Catchafire’s skilled volunteers. Their support enabled GenUnity to strengthen internal systems, save on staffing costs, and focus more fully on its mission.
Get started today: massmutual.catchafire.org
GenUnity is currently accepting applications for their upcoming Spring 2026 and Fall 2026 fellowship programs! These fellowships provide nonprofit employees with the tools and leadership skills they need to effectively analyze the root causes of social issues and discover their potential to create meaningful change. Apply here to join our fast-growing community (nearly 400 alums) and make an impact on your workplace, your community, and your life! You can also learn more at GenUnity’s website here, hear directly from our members here, or just reach out to us at JoinUs@genunity.org!
