Saving Time With Salesforce – We Interview Calums Cabin, A Nonprofit in Scotland
A Probono Project: From Heartbreak to Hope. The Story of Calum's Cabin
Ninety days a Year Saved In Admin Time Thanks To Salesforce.
Who Are Calum Cabin?
Calums Cabin, a cherished charity based on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, is dedicated to providing precious holiday experiences for families across the UK who have children who have cancer.
The charity was inspired by the heartfelt wishes of Calum, a brave young boy diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour at the age of 11. Despite his illness, Calum's spirit remained unbroken, and he envisioned a place where families could create lasting, joyful memories amidst the most challenging times.
Tragically, Calum passed away at the age of 12, but his dream lived on through the tireless efforts of his family, who established Calum's Cabin in his honour. Today, the charity supports up to 17 families each week, offering them solace and respite during their difficult times.
We learn from Calums Cabin how they saved 90 days per year as a nonprofit on Salesforce.
We sat down with the team at Calums Cabin to understand the impact Salesforce can have in this very special interview, from learning about how they are using Salesforce for bookings, to powering the whole team. At our mission, Hyphen8 is dedicated to helping any nonprofit, trust or foundation, do more with their time to make the world that-bit-better!
Enjoy the interview.
How Calum's Cabin partnered with Hyphen8's CEO, Elaine Forth, and the team.
Elaine, Hypehn8's founder, is far too humble to say this, but she has a huge heart and loves to give back. (Luckily for Hyphen8, Elaine doesn't write the customer updates and success stories!)
The Story began when Calums Cabin was matched with Elaine, as she is a member of the Specialist Volunteering Network run by one of our customers, Inspiring Scotland. All of the work we have done with them since being introduced in May 2023 has been probono to support the work and mission of keeping families together when facing cancer and providing families and their children with holidays.
Let's meet the that makes Calums Cabin possible:
Caroline:
As Calum's mother, Caroline has been the heart and soul behind Calum's Cabin. Her extensive knowledge and personal connection with the families they serve make her an indispensable part of the charity.
She manages various aspects, from fundraising to ensuring the smooth operation of the cabin and additional properties.
Francesca:
Francesca is the backbone of the booking process at Calum's Cabin. She meticulously coordinates holiday schedules, communicates with families, and ensures every detail is handled so families can focus on enjoying their time together.
Her role extends to hospital visits, organising holiday gifts for oncology wards, and maintaining the overall experience for visiting families.
Nikkita:
Working behind the scenes, Nikkita supports Francesca with the logistical and administrative aspects of the charity.
She manages billing, event organisation, and other essential tasks that keep the charity running smoothly. Her comprehensive approach ensures that no detail is overlooked.
The Previous System - Administrative taks done manually and by post. Tell what this was like for you.
"Before implementing Salesforce, Calum's Cabin relied on a cumbersome system that included Microsoft Access for its database, numerous Excel spreadsheets, and many paper forms that were manually posted.
This setup was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. The manual process involved multiple steps, from receiving applications to sending confirmation letters and managing bookings on paper calendars. This system often resulted in delays and miscommunications, adding tasks to families already dealing with significant challenges."
What pain points with the previous system that was holding you back and making it harder for your families?
"The primary pain point with the old system was its inefficiency. Data entry was manual, reliance on physical mail was, and the process was fragmented, meaning it could take days or even weeks to confirm a single booking. This delay was especially challenging for families in urgent need of a holiday. Additionally, any staff absence could severely disrupt operations, making it difficult to provide consistent support."
They were:
- Paper-based
- Relying on post to receive applications for holidays
- Relying on post to receive family messages back
- Using an old Access Database, which wasn't great
- Spreadsheets
- Paper calendars
- Relying on a lot of information being stored in Caroline's head (we are sure that resonates with many of you reading)
Can you share why you chose Salesforce to transform the way the charity worked?
"The decision to adopt Salesforce came after a thorough evaluation process. The charity was fortunate to be selected by a bank as part of a charity partnership programme, which provided them with professional guidance on selecting the right platform. Salesforce was chosen for its scalability, flexibility, and ability to integrate various functions into a cohesive system. This decision was driven by the need for a robust platform that could grow with the charity and streamline its operations."
"Now, with Salesforce, we can complete the entire booking process in just minutes. This dramatic reduction in time not only eases our administrative burden but also ensures that families can quickly and efficiently secure their holiday, providing them with a much-needed respite during challenging times. The efficiency and speed of Salesforce have genuinely transformed our operations, allowing us to serve better the families who need us most." - Francesca
Have there been any amazing A-Ha Moments since you started using Salesforce?
"Yes, there have been lots of A-ha moments!
What is incredible is that Salesforce has allowed us to speed up the cancellation re-booking process to get families on waiting lists into holiday homes other people have had to cancel. It has helped us fill 19 cancelled holiday homes, which accounts for just over 10% of our yearly holidays, and we are only halfway through!"
Team, what would you share about working with Elaine?
"Working with Elaine has been a transformative experience for Calum's Cabin. Elaine and her team were incredibly supportive and knowledgeable, guiding us through every step of the Salesforce implementation.
She listened to our specific needs and tailored the system to fit perfectly. The sandbox setup allowed us to experiment and feel confident in the system's capabilities.
Elaine and Hyphen8's dedication and responsiveness have been exceptional, helping us streamline our operations and significantly improve our efficiency. Their ongoing support continues to be invaluable, making them an integral part of our success" - Francesca.
Caroline, as Founder, do you have any words you'd like to share with us about what was important to you?
"As the Founder of Calums Cabin, working with a professional and empathetic team was essential to understand what we do and how we need the best technology to help children facing cancer.
Working with Hyphen8 has been a transformative experience for Calums Cabin. Their hands-on approach and willingness to customise solutions made the project seamless and stress-free. Hyphen8's ongoing support continues to be invaluable as the charity explores new functionalities within Salesforce.
In the last six months, we have been able to provide an extra 11 holidays easily thanks to salesforce.
So, around 6% more than last year. We can't thank you enough!" - Caroline.
New Capabilities with Salesforce To Help More Families
"With Salesforce, Calum's Cabin can now manage bookings much more efficiently. Their entire booking management process is now on Salesforce, from online booking forms to calendar view/allocations of families to bookings, booking acceptance forms, etc.
The application process, which used to take days, can now be completed in minutes. The system allows for quick updates and real-time communication with families, significantly reducing the administrative burden. Moreover, integrating fundraising management tools has enhanced their ability to track donations and engage with supporters, further extending their reach and impact!"
Francesca also shared, "Before Salesforce, we used to joke that one day, due to our paper system, we could have four families turning up at one holiday home. That never happened due to the team working so hard, but it was a paper-based process that could have led to errors.
Thanks to Hyphen8's support with Salesforce, I'm saving at least half a day per booked family, 90 days a year, in admin time. This frees me up to do other things that can support the families and our team, such as reaching out to more hospitals in the UK to tell them about our services. Thank you to Elaine and Hyphen8 for saving me those days! We can now help even more children with cancer enjoy a break and their families.
Hyphen8 is so pleased to have interviewed you today. Is there anything else you'd like to add or advice you'd give another charity?
"We'd all recommend that charities talk to Elaine at Hyphen8 as her experience is vast. She knows everything about charity work on Salesforce, and it can change your team's workload and save you vast amounts of time.
The team have also been very generous, donating £1,000 to our Christmas appeal and supporting us with FormAssembly licences to power our forms to enable holiday applications easily. Thank you so very much!"
What Elaine Shared:
The team at Hyphen8 did manage to sneakily ask Elaine a question about working with Calum's Cabin, and this is what she had to share:
This is why I get up in the morning to be able to help such inspiring charities like Calums Cabin without having to charge them anything. The legacy they have created for their son is heart-warming. The entire team is passionate about supporting similar families, so we will continue to do what we can to help". - Elaine Forth
(*Sorry for tricking you into sharing a quote with us, Elaine. We love how philanthropic you are and how much you want to give back! )
