HFH Of Missoula County | Harness Customer Testimonial

Housing Development

Location:

Missoula, MT

Organization size:

17 employees

“Harness has let me do more of the fundraising with less team. I've been able to do a similar amount of outreach and data tracking despite missing two full time staff.”

Tor Gudmundsson

Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Missoula

The Situation:

Significant staff turnover

“We get (funding) when we're building. It's why people support us. So in a year where we hit some slowdowns… intersecting with not having direct staff on the fundraising machine…it's hard.”

Habitat for Humanity of Missoula is dedicated to building safe, affordable homes for families in need. Their visibility in the community through new building projects has always driven an increase in donations. However, when Executive Director Tor Gudmundsson faced a 70% reduction in staff, both construction and fundraising momentum took a significant hit. Fortunately, Tor was introduced to Harness by Nan Condit from the Silver Lining Foundation (don’t miss their Success Story!). From the very first call, Tor felt a renewed sense of hope, realizing that with Harness, he could continue to reach fundraising goals despite a leaner team.

The Challenge:

Reignite fundraising efforts

“There were no extra steps there. A couple of emails with the Harness integration team, a couple of clicks and we’re running.”

Taking on a new product during an already stressful time is no small task, especially when the team consists of a part-time grant writer transitioning into a hybrid fundraising manager. However, with determination comes results. The team was pleasantly surprised by how easy the onboarding and ramp-up process was. With quick access to the Harness tech team and user-friendly tools, they were able to seamlessly integrate 12 years of donor data into the Harness platform. This swift adoption allowed them to start fundraising much sooner than they had originally anticipated.

The Solution:

Service beyond the product

“Could not say enough good about Alta. Amazing. [She’s] been really, really helpful both to get her specific perspective and that harness experience.”

Habitat for Humanity of Missoula hit the ground running with Harness by their side. With seamless integrations into their existing tools, Tor and his team were able to boost their fundraising efforts by providing donors with multiple ways to contribute, all while ensuring a smooth and easy donation experience. Plus, the user-friendly automated management system helped them keep track of everything effortlessly—something that had been a challenge for them in the past.

In addition to the Harness platform, the expert support from their Customer Service Manager, Alta, proved invaluable. She provided comfort and guidance to the newly downsized team, serving as a thought partner who validated ideas and helped transform small concepts into impactful initiatives. The partnership between Tor and Alta enabled Habitat for Humanity of Missoula to significantly enhance its impact in the community.

The Result:

Enhance community impact

11hrs

a week to refocus on their mission.

”I've been able to do a similar amount of outreach and a similar amount of data tracking despite missing two full time staff.”

Harness has made a big difference beyond just product and strategy. With more time to connect with new and existing donors, Habitat for Humanity of Missoula has welcomed dozens of new volunteers and expanded their existing donor base. By nurturing those relationships from the very start, they’ve built stronger connections within the community, paving the way for exciting new home builds. Tor and his growing team are excited to tap into even more solutions the Harness product and experts have to offer.

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