Introduction
Minnie's Food Pantry is a long-standing nonprofit that provides food and essential services to families across the community. As demand grew, the organization was still running intake, check-ins, and volunteer coordination through paper forms and disconnected spreadsheets and old system that could no longer manage their day to day — a process that couldn't keep pace with distribution days or the reporting that funders required.
We designed and built a single, role-based platform that unifies the entire operation: a client CRM with household tracking, QR-based check-in, verification and document workflows, a full volunteer management system with scheduling and approvals, and an AI-assisted reporting layer that turns day-to-day activity into grant-ready insight.
- Families
- 175K+
- Check-ins
- 3x
- Volunteers
- 80K+
Households Served
Faster than Prior System
Managed in the Volunteer CRM
- Project Type
- Custom CRM & Web Platform
- Target Users
- Volunteers, Staff, Families
- Tools Used
- Figma, Next.js, Supabase
- Design Focus
- Speed, Simplicity, Accessibility
The Challenge
Intake and reporting relied on paper forms and manual data entry spread across spreadsheets. As demand grew, it became difficult to serve families quickly, keep household records accurate, coordinate volunteers, or produce the impact data that grants depend on.
- Digitizing paper-based client intake
- Migrating years of historical records
- Designing for non-technical volunteers
- Coordinating volunteers, shifts, and groups
- Meeting grant-reporting requirements
The Goal
Deliver one fast, forgiving platform that any volunteer can learn in minutes — replacing paper and spreadsheets with a single source of truth for clients, households, visits, verification, and volunteer scheduling, and turning that activity into reporting the team can act on.
- Cut check-in time per household
- Give staff a single source of truth
- Streamline volunteer scheduling and approvals
- Unlock better program and grant reporting
The Solution
At the core is a lightweight client CRM built for volunteer-run distribution days. Every client has a full record — household composition, visit history, eligibility verification, uploaded documents, and communication log — with a head-of-household model that keeps families linked and activity logging that captures every meaningful action for accountability.
On top of the CRM sit the workflows that make distribution days move: QR-code check-in that pulls up the right household in seconds, self-service portals for both clients and volunteers, a complete volunteer scheduling system with shift approvals and groups, and an AI reporting assistant that answers questions and generates grant-ready reports from live data.
Key Features
Client CRM
Detailed client and household records with a head-of-household model, visit history, and full activity logging as a single source of truth.
QR Check-In
Scan a client's QR code to pull up their household and record a visit in seconds — replacing paper sign-in sheets on distribution days.
Volunteer Management
End-to-end volunteer CRM with scheduling, shift approvals and waitlists, group reservations, tags, and managed accounts for minor volunteers.
Verification & Documents
Track eligibility verification status, upload and review supporting documents, and send automated verification reminders.
Self-Service Portals
Dedicated client and volunteer portals for profiles, QR codes, schedules, and account management — reducing front-desk load.
AI-Assisted Reporting
Ask questions in plain language and generate custom, grant-ready reports and CSV exports from live client and volunteer data.
Design Approach & System
We built a warm, dignified visual system — soft color, clear typography, and forgiving interaction patterns — that treats clients with respect while keeping volunteer workflows fast. Every screen is designed for non-technical users working quickly on a busy distribution day, with large targets, plain language, and accessible contrast.
- Volunteer-First UX
- Task-focused screens, minimal steps, and inline editing so volunteers can act without training or leaving the page.
- Warm Visual Identity
- A welcoming palette and typography that reflect the pantry's mission and put families at ease.
UI Highlights
Staff Dashboard
Role-based overview that surfaces clients, visits, and volunteer activity at a glance.
Household Detail
A single record linking family members, visits, verification, and communication.
Visit History
A clear timeline of every check-in and interaction for each household.
Verification Flow
Guided status tracking with document uploads and automated reminders.
Impact & Custom Reports
Configurable reports and exports built for grant and program reporting.
Admin Settings
Manage locations, users, certifications, and shift tags in one place.