Serelora x Friendship Circle Introductory Call

Participants

• Spencer Wozniak (spencer@Serelora.com)
• Muka Rodal (Muka@friendshipcirclesd.org)
• Lisa Gozlan (info@friendshipsd.org)
• Mushka Eilfort (mushka@friendshipsd.org)

Summary

Lisa Gozlan and Muka Rodal identified the organization's reliance on manual processes, multiple forms, and disparate data sources (like the website, chabadone.org, spreadsheets, and easy texting) as key weaknesses, noting that their current Salesforce CRM is not user-friendly and progress has been slow.

Spencer Wozniak proposed a consolidated platform to integrate existing tools and automate processes like follow-ups and client intake, demonstrating features that could generate comprehensive client profiles, track event attendance for volunteer hours, and manage custom client medical and preference data (like diagnosis and event interests) as requested by Lisa Gozlan and Muka Rodal.

Details

Manual Processes and Data Consolidation Challenges

Lisa Gozlan initiated the discussion by identifying the organization's main weakness as relying on "too many forms and spreadsheets" and "a lot of manual follow-ups" with volunteers and participants. Muka Rodal emphasized that manual processes take up "all my time" and that the organization manages at least 382 individuals that need to be managed. Spencer Wozniak noted that other similar organizations face issues with unconnected systems like using Eventbrite, QuickBooks, and manual email for funding. Muka Rodal also highlighted the frustration of having to look in "four different places" to build a client profile because information is scattered across the website, chabadone.org, spreadsheets, and easy texting. The organization needs to bring all their spreadsheets into one consolidated system.

Spencer Wozniak explained that Serelora's platform addresses these consolidation challenges:

• Single unified database that eliminates the need to check multiple systems
• Import/migration support to consolidate data from spreadsheets and other sources
• Integration capabilities that can connect with existing tools like Easy Texting and chabadone.org without requiring complete abandonment of current platforms

Current CRM Usage and Pain Points

The organization is currently using Salesforce, which Lisa Gozlan stated they have been learning for about two and a half years, noting that progress is "very, very slow" and that it's "not going well". Muka Rodal expressed frustration with Salesforce, calling it not "user friendly" and "too complicated", which often leads them to create their own spreadsheets in the short term, despite knowing it creates later issues. Lisa Gozlan emphasized that a major problem is the lack of automated follow-up, requiring manual checks daily in chabadone.org or Salesforce. Specific follow-up needs include:

• Identifying who needs follow-up
• Reminders when a donor has not been in touch for 1 year or 6 months
• Tracking what Muka Rodal needs help with
• Identifying when volunteers are needed for events
• General volunteer and participant follow-up management

Spencer Wozniak noted that Serelora's platform platform addresses these pain points:

• Modern, clean UI designed to be user-friendly and less overwhelming than Salesforce, reducing the learning curve
• Intuitive search and filtering capabilities that make it easy for non-technical staff to find information quickly
• Activity tracking system that automatically logs all interactions, providing a complete audit trail
• Automated workflows that can trigger reminders based on time periods (e.g., donor not in touch for 1 year or 6 months) or specific events
• Last seen tracking that automatically identifies when clients were last active, useful for identifying who needs follow-up

Proposed Consolidated Platform Features

Spencer Wozniak shared an example of a system they developed for another client that includes an automated intake form, automatic emailing to relevant parties, and database integration. The proposed system aims to pull existing platforms together into one system without requiring the organization to completely abandon tools they currently use, such as Easy Texting and chabadone.org. Spencer Wozniak confirmed that the platform would be simple for non-technical staff to manage and would allow for automatic follow-up emails based on time periods or specific events, such as a donor not being in touch.

Serelora's platform includes integration frameworks for Eventbrite and QuickBooks, with the ability to build custom integrations for Easy Texting, chabadone.org, or other existing tools. Message logging tracks all communications (email and SMS) sent to clients, enabling automated follow-up workflows.

Communication Preferences and Platform Usage

The organization uses multiple communication platforms including Easy Texting, chabadone.org, and Salesforce. Muka Rodal noted that communication preferences vary by age: older clients prefer email, while younger clients prefer text messages. Importantly, Muka Rodal emphasized that clients are not interested in using the website - they want to receive text messages about events and reminders directly, rather than having to visit a website to find information.

Serelora's platform supports message logging for both email and SMS communications, allowing the system to track and automate communications based on client preferences. Event preferences and interests can be stored and used to filter event invitations and messages, ensuring clients only receive relevant communications (e.g., "only bowling events").

Client Profile and Information Management

Muka Rodal requested a feature to easily generate a profile showing all events a person has attended, particularly to verify volunteer hours for college applications. Spencer Wozniak demonstrated a client view displaying event sign-ups, attendance, and where payments and invoices could be managed. Lisa Gozlan inquired about adding custom fields like a participant's "condition" or diagnosis, and Muka Rodal stressed the critical importance of having information such as:

• Diagnosis - What is the participant's condition or diagnosis
• Triggers - What are their triggers (e.g., fear of animals)
• Medical conditions - Including allergies like gluten
• This information must be readily visible to ensure appropriate event invitations and safety

Muka Rodal emphasized that this medical and safety information needs to be immediately accessible when viewing a client profile to prevent issues like inviting someone with a fear of animals to an event with animals, or someone with a gluten allergy to an event with food.

Spencer Wozniak explained that Serelora's platform includes:

• A unified "Client 360" page that consolidates all client information in one place
• An "Events" tab showing all events a client has registered for, with dates, attendance status, and event details - perfect for generating volunteer hour reports for college applications
• An activity timeline that automatically tracks all client interactions, event registrations, and communications
• Custom fields support including an allergies array field that can track medical conditions like gluten allergies and animal fears
• Custom fields can be added for diagnosis, triggers, and other medical conditions that are immediately visible on the client profile

Specific Client Information for Categorization and Communication

Muka Rodal detailed the need to categorize clients instantly by:

• Diagnosis - The participant's medical condition or diagnosis
• Category - Whether they are an adult, volunteer, kid, or teen
• Section/Group membership - Which specific group they belong to (e.g., adult with special needs, teen volunteer, adult volunteer)
• Event interests - What types of events they are interested in

Different groups receive distinct communications and event information, so this categorization is essential. Furthermore, Muka Rodal emphasized the importance of seeing client preferences, like only wanting to hear about "bowling events," to avoid sending irrelevant text messages, describing the desired communication as being tailored like a doctor's appointment reminder.

Spencer Wozniak explained that Serelora's platform supports:

• Advanced search functionality that allows instant filtering by name, email, phone, or custom fields, enabling quick categorization and client lookup
• Custom categorization fields that can be adapted to track diagnosis, group membership (adult with special needs, teen volunteer, adult volunteer), and other classification needs
• Interests/preferences storage that can store event preferences (e.g., "only bowling events") to enable targeted communication
• Flexible tagging system that allows for custom categorization (e.g., "VIP", "Donor", "Volunteer", "New", etc.)
• Group membership categorization can be implemented through tags or custom fields

Spencer Wozniak offered to prepare a more specific demo based on the organization's needs, and Muka Rodal agreed to discuss this with their team.

Implementation Strategy and Next Steps

FIRST PRIORITY: Lisa Gozlan and Muka Rodal identified managing participants and volunteers on the platform as the first priority for implementation.

Regarding implementation, Spencer Wozniak suggested beginning by pulling existing client information from one platform into the new consolidated system to create an overall picture of them.

Lisa Gozlan asked if the process could start smaller, focusing initially on importing all their spreadsheets into one place.

Spencer Wozniak confirmed they would need more information about the spreadsheets' structure to determine if the migration would be automated or manual, and explained that the platform includes import/migration support to consolidate data from spreadsheets and other sources.

Lisa Gozlan and Muka Rodal agreed to discuss the cost and which specific areas they would prioritize starting with, with managing participants and volunteers being the first priority. Lisa Gozlan concluded the meeting by agreeing to send a follow-up email in two or three days.