Equal Chance for Education

Introduction

Equal Chance for Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making college education affordable for first-generation immigrant students in Tennessee. Their manual application process held them back from efficiently handling scholarship applications, tracking student progress, and making data-based decisions. That’s when they discovered Knack, a versatile no-code platform designed to streamline data management and application processes. This case study delves into how Knack revolutionized Equal Chance for Education’s operations, enabling them to empower more students and achieve their mission effectively.

The Need for a More Efficient System

Equal Chance for Education faced significant challenges in their scholarship application process before adopting Knack. Their existing system relied on manual processes, including email applications and Word documents, which proved inefficient and burdensome for their staff. 

Applicants would initially express interest through the website, receive a Word document application, complete it, and then Equal Chance for Education had to review and evaluate each application individually. This manual approach placed a considerable workload on their team.

Recognizing the need for a more streamlined and automated system, they looked for a solution that could help them transition from an entirely manual application process to a more automated workflow. 

Knack’s Approachable Interface for Non-Coders

Knack’s approachable interface appealed to Equal Chance for Education, especially given their team’s lack of coding experience. Vanessa Delgado, the program director, noted that Knack was “the most user-friendly” solution they had come across.

The organization found Knack’s platform to be intuitive and easily navigable, making it accessible for staff members who were not tech-savvy. They could effortlessly customize applications, forms, and databases to meet their specific needs without the need for coding expertise. 

Applicants could now create accounts and submit their applications, simplifying the entire application process. The system’s automation also streamlines the assignment of applications to reviewers and records the status of applicants, distinguishing between accepted and rejected submissions. These automated features have not only saved time but have also improved efficiency, allowing Equal Chance for Education to focus on supporting their students and expanding their reach.

A Complete and Affordable Solution

Affordability was paramount for the nonprofit organization, especially with approximately 1,500 users to consider. Unlike other systems that charge per user, Knack’s pricing structure made it a cost-effective choice, allowing Equal Chance for Education to manage their data efficiently while staying within their budget.

Knack’s comprehensive features, ranging from data input and management to analysis and visualization tools, empowered Equal Chance to efficiently oversee their programs and data. David Parrish, owner of KnackBuilders and a key figure in their implementation, praised Knack as a “complete package,” highlighting its comprehensive functionality with its forms, crunching of numbers, database, analysis, automation, charts, and graphs. Knack’s comprehensiveness addressed their needs without straining their resources, making it an ideal fit for an organization dedicated to providing equal educational opportunities.

Effortless Reporting 

Before adopting Knack, Equal Chance for Education struggled to generate the type of comprehensive reports they needed on applicants, scholars, and alumni. However, with Knack’s automated data collection system, what was once a challenging task became effortless.

For scholarship applicants, Knack simplifies the data collection process, allowing Equal Chance for Education to create comprehensive reports on demographics and academic backgrounds effortlessly.

As scholars progress, Knack automatically tracks their achievements, including majors, GPAs, and extracurricular activities. This automation not only saves time but also enables the generation of detailed semester reports, providing valuable insights into the impact of their support and highlighting opportunities to reach out to students and offer help.

Knack’s capabilities extend to alumni tracking as well, making it easy to assess their long-term impact.

Thanks to Knack’s automated data collection, Equal Chance for Education now has the reporting tools they need to make informed decisions, refine their programs, and allocate resources effectively, all in pursuit of their mission to provide equal educational opportunities.

Helping Them Expand Their Reach

Knack has been instrumental in helping Equal Chance for Education achieve its mission of reaching and supporting more first-generation immigrant students. By streamlining operations and automating application processes, Knack has enabled Equal Chance to efficiently manage a larger pool of applicants, now numbering in the hundreds.

This transformation has allowed them to allocate resources effectively, identify high-achieving students, and provide targeted support. Knack’s robust reporting capabilities have empowered data-driven decision-making, ensuring that scholars receive the assistance they need for academic success.

Conclusion

Knack played a vital role in helping Equal Chance for Education reach and support more students. By automating tasks and improving reporting, Knack has made it possible for Equal Chance for Education to easily handle more applications and use their resources wisely so that they can amplify their impact.

Ready to experience the benefits of Knack for your organization? Try a free trial today and unlock the potential of streamlined data management and reporting.