Houston nonprofit upgrades social, financial services with new tech tool
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A first-of-its-kind tech tool will help thousands of people in the Houston area get on their feet financially.
United Way of Greater Houston says the new Integrated Client Journey Technology Tool will eventually connect more than 100 nonprofits serving financially struggling households in the United Way’s four-county service area (Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller). Houston’s nonprofit Patient Care Intervention Center developed the cloud-based tool.
The tool is expected to launch in the fall of 2022.
A team of navigators will use the tool as they steer families and individuals toward financial stability. The tool will help navigators and clients identify and access services based on clients’ needs and goals. Among these services are workforce development, financial coaching, early childhood and youth development, and physical and behavioral healthcare.
According to United Way, 14 percent of Houston-area households live on incomes below the federal poverty line, and another 33 percent of working households don’t earn enough money to afford basic necessities.
“At United Way, we’re focused on connecting people with possibility,” Amanda McMillian, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston, says in a news release.
“When you’re working multiple jobs, caring for a family and living paycheck to paycheck, navigating the network of social service resources can be a daunting task,” she adds. “The goal of our technology tool is to dramatically improve access to these resources by making it easier for you to connect with the services you need, assisted by a skilled navigator who knows your goals.”
McMillian says United Way’s overarching vision for the tool is to connect all nonprofit service providers in the area in an effort to improve access for clients and enhance coordination among providers.
On a pro bono basis, Boston Consulting Group, which has an office in Houston, came up with the proof-of-concept version of the United Way tool.
Kettering, Ohio-based Reynolds and Reynolds, a developer of software for car dealerships, made the initial donation to help underwrite the tool. Reynolds and Reynolds has offices in Houston and College Station.
