September 19, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
Family Services of Greater Houston created a data system to meet its own need to track staff time and information about clients and the services they receive. And now the charity has turned the software into a business.
“When we first developed this internally, the first response was, ‘This is going to be great for our staff,’” says Keith Rea, the charity’s vice president of operations. “But the second response from our management group was, ‘You know, there are probably other nonprofits who might be interested in using this system.’”
During its 2010 fiscal year, Family Services of Greater Houston earned $71,300 by licensing the software to other nonprofit groups. The money represents a tiny portion of the charity’s $7.1-million annual budget, but it’s unrestricted and thus valuable to the group. Its biggest client was United Way of Greater Houston, which used the system for its Thrive program, in which 15 charities collaborate to provide financial-literacy coaching, job training, and other services to help people become self-sufficient.
For more information: Go to http://www.datatraq.net.
