When Madison Community Foundation set out to find a new foundation software solution, they weren’t just looking for a better interface. They were looking for a better way to work – one that could unify their departments, support long-term growth, and remove the inefficiencies built up over two decades on their legacy platform.
Their journey led them to akoyaGO, and today they’re operating with more cohesion, clarity, and confidence than ever before.
Outgrowing Legacy Systems
Like many community foundations, Madison had made their old system work for years – since 1999, in fact. Over time, they layered additional tools to manage grants, finance, donor records, and reporting. However, the disconnected tools created inefficiencies, duplicated work, and made it harder for staff to manage their workloads effectively across departments. It became increasingly clear that they needed a more streamlined, centralized approach to meet their growing capacity and operational needs.
"We were doing the same work in multiple systems,” said Harmony Kronick, Senior Operations Director. “Even something as simple as updating an address for a grantee had to be done manually in both the CRM and financial system. There was no clean connectivity.”
This duplication of effort was more than an inconvenience. It slowed down their work, limited transparency, and created confusion across departments. “It felt like a hodgepodge,” Harmony added. “You find workarounds, and you learn to live with it. But eventually, you realize it’s time to move forward.”
A Foundation-Wide Evaluation Process
One of the most impactful decisions Madison made early in their evaluation was to include every department in the demo process. This wasn’t just a tech decision, but a strategic investment in the future of their organization. Each team, including grants, finance, donor engagement, administration, and accounting, brought their insights and pain points to the table.
From the very beginning, akoyaGO embraced this approach. Demo sessions were tailored to different functional areas, and our team made it a priority to answer questions from every corner of the organization.
"That’s a reason why akoyaGO stood out in demos,” said Beth Hedges, Accounting Director. “Your team took the time to answer our questions, connected us with the right people, and genuinely encouraged the involvement of all departments. That made a big difference for us.”
This inclusive approach built trust, created internal alignment, and helped surface functionality priorities across departments. It also ensured that once implementation began, every user felt some ownership of the system.
But just as important as the process was the product itself. Because akoyaGO is an all-inclusive solution, it offers core functionality for each department while bringing everything together in one centralized, connected system. Grants, finance, donor records, and fundholder interactions all live in a single source of truth. That connectivity was exactly what Madison had been missing in their previous systems.
Including every department in the evaluation helped ensure that each area of the organization could see their needs reflected in akoyaGO, and even more importantly, see how those needs could be met in a unified way.
Why akoyaGO?
After vetting several options, the Madison team chose akoyaGO for its flexibility, strong foundation in Microsoft Dynamics, and commitment to long-term growth.
“Most systems we looked at felt locked in,” said Harmony. “With akoyaGO, we saw the opportunity to configure, grow, and adapt.”
This configurability proved especially meaningful for Donor Database Manager Nick Pjevach, who can dig into the system and shape it himself. “I can actually get under the hood and make changes,” he explained. “Creating custom views, building dashboards, and editing fields is intuitive. That level of self-sufficiency is empowering.”
That emphasis on dashboards became a defining factor in Madison’s selection process, particularly for Director of Donor Engagement Caitlin Ryan.
“One thing I always say is dashboards,” Caitlin shared. “When we looked around and other competitors didn’t have them, I couldn’t believe it. The dashboards are a game changer, and honestly, an instant sell.”
Dashboards allow the Madison team to surface data across departments and turn real-time information into actionable insight. From fund performance to grant history to donor activity, the foundation is now able to make better decisions, faster, because the data is clear, visible, and connected.
The foundation also appreciated that akoyaGO is built for the future, not just today’s needs.
“When we think about sustainability, we think about technology that can evolve,” added Caitlin. “Being built on Microsoft Dynamics gave us confidence that this platform wouldn’t just serve us now, but also for the long haul.”
Implementation: Learning and Leading Together
The implementation process came with the usual learning curves, but Madison was ready for it. Guided by a dedicated akoyaGO Project Manager, Madison’s team was prompted to reflect on how they did their work and where they wanted to go.
“It was overwhelming at first,” Beth admitted. “But we had someone helping us understand how the system was designed and what best practices looked like. That gave us a place to start and evolve from.”
Clear expectations emerged as a key learning. “We talked a lot about how we wanted things to work,” said Caitlin, “but we didn’t build a checklist of what needed to be functional at go-live. That led to some misalignment. I’d advise other foundations to create a ‘must-have’ list early and know what’s coming later.”
Running implementation in parallel with their fiscal year-end also proved to be a smart decision. “It gave us a safety net during our audit,” said Beth. “And it helped us see, side-by-side, how the new system would impact financial reporting. That clarity gave us confidence in our transition.”
Real-Time Results
Now that they’re live, Madison Community Foundation is seeing the results of their thoughtful work.
Tasks that once required hours or weeks have been replaced by streamlined workflows. A powerful example came during the annual spending plan letter process. Previously, a senior staff member had to export and combine data from multiple systems. This year, a new team member, still learning the system, took full ownership of the project.
“He built the views, managed the exports, and completed the entire mailing,” said Nick. “That kind of ownership, from someone brand new, is a testament to how intuitive and unified the system is.”
Workflows built in akoyaGO have also eliminated manual tasks and saved time across departments. “I created a process that replaced a job Caitlin had been doing manually for years,” Nick said. “It saved her time every week and provided more runway to keep on track with other tasks.”
A Better Experience for Staff and Stakeholders
Internally, akoyaGO has made a major difference for team communication and autonomy. “We used to manage our grants across three different systems,” said Jazzmine Haygood, Administrative and Grants Assistant. “Now it’s all in one place. Staff can find what they need, see the full grant history, and work more independently.”
Externally, the impact is just as clear. Grantees are thrilled with GOapply, akoyaGO’s online application portal. “They love that they can start an application, save their progress, and return to it later. It’s intuitive,” Jazzmine added. “I’ve had nothing but positive feedback.”
akoyaGO’s fundholder portal has also created noticeable improvements for external stakeholders.
“I’ve gotten great feedback,” Harmony said. “Fundholders find it easy to see what’s available to grant, search for grantees, and make recommendations. The functionality is intuitive, especially the ability to switch between funds.”
She also emphasized the power of permission settings. “My favorite thing is the fund connections and how we can tailor access. We can allow some users to view grant history but restrict their ability to recommend. That level of control, all in one place, is incredible for donor services.”
A Partnership, Not Just a Platform
Perhaps most importantly, the Madison team felt a true sense of partnership from akoyaGO. From the implementation team to post-go-live support, the relationship has been collaborative, solution-focused, and human.
“Every single person we’ve worked with has been outstanding,” Harmony said. “From the data migration team to our Project Manager during go-live, the akoyaGO team showed up not just to deliver the product, but to make sure we felt supported.”
That partnership extended far beyond day-to-day implementation tasks. Throughout the process, the Madison team feels included in a growing, thriving community built around shared learning and peer support. Whether through user groups, direct connections with other foundations, or attending the 2024 EMPOWERED conference mid-implementation, they saw firsthand how invested akoyaGO is in client success.
The sentiment was clear: akoyaGO is building more than a product. It’s building a space for collaboration.
“The investment akoyaGO makes in their clients is clear,” the team shared. “The user community is smart, energetic, and engaged.” Nick echoed that sentiment, noting the positive energy surrounding the platform. “There’s momentum here,” he said. “You can feel it. It’s exciting to be part of something that’s not static. akoyaGO is building a real community, and we’re contributing to the future of the product.”
Advice for Other Foundations
Looking back, the Madison team has clear guidance for other foundations thinking about a technology transition:
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Involve your entire team.Including all departments in demos and evaluation not only builds buy-in but also creates internal champions who understand the system deeply.
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Choose a platform built for the future.Don’t just fix your current pain points. Pick a system that will grow with you and with the philanthropic sector.
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Clarify expectations early.Define what functionality you need at go-live versus what can come later. Build a checklist based on what your team needs to do their work, not just what they want.
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Run parallel during critical times.Use a parallel run to validate data and build confidence during major transitions like year-end.
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Invest in internal communication.As flexible as akoyaGO is, small teams need internal systems to stay aligned on changes, customizations, and user roles.
At akoyaGO, we feel fortunate to work with foundations like Madison Community Foundation – organizations that aren’t simply choosing the path others are taking, but instead asking, What’s truly best for our mission, our team, and our community? Their thoughtful approach, teamwide engagement, and forward-thinking mindset made them a remarkable partner throughout this process.
We’re honored to support the important work they do and are excited to continue growing together by empowering their staff, streamlining their operations, and maximizing their impact for years to come.
Madison Community Foundation Featured Team Members:
Beth Hedges
Accounting Director
Caitlin Ryan
Director of Donor Engagement
Harmony Kronick
Senior Operations Director
Jazzmine Haygood
Community Impact Coordinator
Nick Pjevach
Donor Database Manager
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