People’s Postcode Lottery
A Reliable Safety Net: How Hyphen8 Supports People’s Postcode Lottery
Introduction to People’s Postcode Lottery
People’s Postcode Lottery is a grant-making organisation that channels funds raised through lottery players into charitable causes across Great Britain.
With £208 million raised and distributed to over 1,400 organisations in 2023 alone, the scale of their operations is immense. At the heart of their grant-making system is Salesforce, managed by Robert Hutchison, the sole admin in the charity’s grant-making department.
The Challenge
As the sole Salesforce admin, Robert often found himself thinking about sustainability of the platform that powers so much incredible work across the People’s Postcost Lottery’s team.
Juggling a heavy workload while ensuring the system functioned seamlessly is the role of any Salesforce Product Owner.
“It’s a single point of failure situation if I’m off sick or something happens where I can’t work due to an emergency, so I wanted to have a back up plan.
If I’m off sick or on holiday, there’s no one else with admin access. Hyphen8 gives me confidence that if I ever need to step away, nothing will fall apart.”
Robert explained.
Hyphen's Support
Beyond the holiday cover, Robert needed a partner who could handle complex technical challenges and provide an expert sounding board for his ideas.
“Sometimes, it gets lonely being the only Salesforce person, not because my team don’t want to talk about Salessforce, but because the knowledge needed to talk Salesforce is technical and quite specific” he admits.
“Hyphen8 isn’t just a backup - they’re a team of experts I can turn to for advice and validation.”
Why Did You Choose Hyphen8?
Hyphen8 stood out because of their extensive experience with nonprofit organisations.
"You can have a Salesforce expert, but if they only know the private sector, you spend so much time educating them about how we operate,” Robert shares.
“With Hyphen8, that’s never an issue—they just get it.”
Hyphen8’s Evolve service was another key factor in the decision. This managed service proactively monitors Salesforce updates, ensuring everything continues to run smoothly without Robert needing to dive into “a phone book sized worth of technical details.”
Peace of mind working with Hyphen8
The Impact
Since partnering with Hyphen8, Robert has experienced a profound sense of relief and empowerment. Key benefits include:
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Peace of Mind:
- Hyphen8 provides holiday and sick leave cover, ensuring that critical systems remain operational.
“Knowing someone else has admin access and can step in if needed—it’s invaluable,” Robert says.
- Hyphen8 provides holiday and sick leave cover, ensuring that critical systems remain operational.
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Proactive Support:
- With the Evolve service, Hyphen8 flags potential issues from Salesforce updates and resolves them proactively.
“They send detailed emails about upcoming changes and handle everything. It’s peace of mind in action.”
- With the Evolve service, Hyphen8 flags potential issues from Salesforce updates and resolves them proactively.
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Collaborative Learning:
- Hyphen8’s team doesn’t just fix problems - they teach.
“Whenever they’ve done work, I’ve learned from it,” Robert notes.
“Their solutions follow best practices, which helps me grow as an admin.”
- Hyphen8’s team doesn’t just fix problems - they teach.
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Expertise on Demand:
- Whether troubleshooting complex flows or validating an idea, Hyphen8’s team is always ready to assist.
“It’s like having an extension of my team,” Robert says.
“They’re incredibly competent and understand the sector.”
- Whether troubleshooting complex flows or validating an idea, Hyphen8’s team is always ready to assist.
Making an impact
Hyphen8 is more than a service provider—they’re a safety net. By handling both routine tasks and complex challenges.
I’m able to sleep at night better, and it’s enable me to focus on the bigger picture: supporting People’s Postcode Lottery’s mission to drive positive change through grant-making.”
Why Support is Important
For organisations with a sole Salesforce admin or a small team managing complex systems, partnering with a Salesforce expert like Hyphen8 can be transformative. Having external support ensures you’re never left in a vulnerable position when key team members are unavailable.
Beyond providing backup, a managed service offers access to a team of knowledgeable professionals who can proactively address potential issues, guide you through best practices, and validate your approaches.
This not only reduces stress but also enhances your own skills by learning from experts. For nonprofits, choosing a partner who understands the unique needs of the sector is critical—they’ll speak your language, saving time and ensuring solutions are tailored to your mission.
Ultimately, support from a trusted partner like Hyphen8, having worked with hundreds of organisations in the nonprofit sector we will empowers you to focus on your organisation’s impact rather than worrying about technical hurdles.
“Hyphen8 has given me confidence and peace of mind,” Robert concludes. “They’re not just a partner—they’re part of the team.”
Why Did You Choose Salesforce and Hyphen8?
"Hyphenate isn’t just a backup - they’re a team of experts I can turn to for advice and validation."
Advice for other charities
"They are just the best!
Whenever they’ve done work, I’ve learned from it. Their solutions follow best practices, which helps me grow as an admin.
I'd recommend them in a heartbeat!"
