Hiring a Consultant

Ready to do more with HomeKeeper or Salesforce?

HomeKeeper provides users with an array of training and support services to help you be a successful HomeKeeper user. Through our Support Forum articles, ticketing system, and robust training calendar, you always have easy access to the resources you need. If you need more customized training or assistance, we can provide that too. In addition to HomeKeeper support, Salesforce has a large online community for nonprofits that you can turn to for advice. There’s even a robust learning platform so you can build new skills.

But what if you’re ready to do more with HomeKeeper or need advanced features or integrations with Salesforce?

While you could become a Salesforce expert, the learning curve could be steep and the process time-consuming, especially if you don’t have a dedicated Salesforce Administrator on staff.  Instead, we recommend hiring a consultant who can bring capacity and expertise. Seeking professional help is particularly encouraged if your organization:

  • Wants advanced customizations specific to the organization or program beyond what is provided as part of our custom installation and on-boarding
  • Has a complex migration of legacy data from multiple systems into HomeKeeper
  • Desires new required functionality, currently not met by existing HomeKeeper features
  • Needs assistance migrating customizations to the Salesforce Lightning user interface
  • Implementation of other Salesforce apps, like the the Nonprofit Success Pack, Salesforce’s grant management features, or Volunteers for Salesforce, for volunteer management
  • Needs your Salesforce or HomeKeeper account to integrate with other systems
Who should you hire?

The consultants below have had direct experience working with us and our HomeKeeper users. Our HomeKeeper staff has shared technical and programmatic information with the them and have supported their engagements with users over the years.  We do not make direct recommendations or share feedback from past clients, but we will make introductions upon request. While you are welcome to seek out a consultant on your own from the AppExchange, our ability to support your consultant may be limited.

Cloud Maven

Cloud Maven, Inc. is a Salesforce ISV partner that helps nonprofit organizations get the most value from their technology investments while mitigating the risks that come with change.  Cloud Maven empowers nonprofits to boost their productivity, automate various business processes, and ultimately, nurture their bottom line with solutions like:

  • Credit Checker lets you easily pull real-time credit reports from multiple credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion), including a tri-merge report from any HomeKeeper or Salesforce object. Read more about the HomeKeeper-Credit Checker integration
  • Provide seamless integration to perform automated employment and income verifications using the WorkNumber database.
  • The ability to securely send and receive sensitive documents with no pins or passwords.
  • Seamless integration and quick start-up.
  • Consulting and advisory services, including business process evaluation.
  • Automatic local and national background checks from inside Salesforce.
  • SMS & efax Guru provides a complete texting solution that works inside of Salesforce. Read more about SMS & efax Guru.

Coastal Cloud

 

Coastal Cloud is an expert Salesforce partner with deep experience in both nonprofit and public sector implementations. Coastal Cloud has implemented solutions for Habitat affiliates, other nonprofits and local governments with expertise in the following:

  • Homeowner Portals using Salesforce Communities
  • Legacy System Data Migration 
  • Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) Customizations
  • Volunteer and donation management customization for Habitat for Humanity affiliates, including Sweat Equity Management, Sponsorship Management (i.e. Adopt a Home, Sponsored Builds, Community Builds), Grant Allocation Task Management, Property Warranty and Warranty Issue Management.
  • Workforce Development and Economic Development Solutions
  • Grant Management Solutions

DaizyLogik

DaizyLogik is currently the lead developer for HomeKeeper and the HomeKeeper National Data Hub and is responsible for tier 2 support and new feature development. DaizyLogik is based in Seattle Washington and is well equipped to provide a wide range of consulting services to HomeKeeper users (in Classic or Lightning).  Projects completed with HomeKeeper users include:

  • Complex data migration into HomeKeeper
  • Tracking rental monitoring and compliance activities
  • Online webforms
  • Building out advanced customizations or integrations

Lincoln Parkway Consulting

Lincoln Parkway Consulting, LLC is a one-stop shop for the types of services that nonprofits need, but that are hard to find.  One of its specializations is in Salesforce environments that have the HomeKeeper App installed in them. Zach Wittrock of Lincoln Parkway Consulting, LLC has several years of experience working with HomeKeeper users and works hard to provide quality work in a timely fashion at the lowest cost possible.  Recent projects with HomeKeeper users include:

  • High volume data migration of counseling and homeownership records
  • Staff coaching to improve data completeness and correctness
  • Implementing Neighborworks reporting features
  • Setting up online forms for homebuyer applications

North Peak Solutions

North Peak Solutions is an expert Salesforce and HomeKeeper partner with experience developing and implementing data management solutions for municipalities, nonprofits and foundations in the housing services sector. Recent projects include:

  • Emergency Rental Assistance Programs:  Design and configuration of Salesforce, online forms and connectors to facilitate application, review and provision of Emergency Rental Assistance Programs
  • Housing Counseling: Design, build and rollout of HomeKeeper and Salesforce implementation for Housing Counseling (among other programs) to an intermediary agency and 35 regional partner orgs.
  • City Services: Design, build, rollout and enhancement of Salesforce and HomeKeeper for a variety of city-driven housing programs and services, including:
    • Housing counseling
    • Educational workshops
    • Home Repair and Maintenance Services
    • Property Tax Assistance
    • Utility and Energy Assistance

North Peak follows proven processes to deliver high-quality, tailored solutions that support impact and efficiency goals. The team works intentionally, designing and pacing projects around client needs. For more information on working with North Peak, please visit their website.

Public House

Public House builds efficient and secure online tools to help us address the ever-growing need for workforce housing. Franklin Joyce (Electric Baby) and his team have worked with more than 25 HomeKeeper users to date! Public House has worked with the HomeKeeper team and our users over the last seven years on projects with varying size and complexity.  Projects completed with HomeKeeper users include: 

 

What to Expect

Hiring a consultant requires additional investment of time and energy and the costs can vary from $500 to $50,000 (or more!).  Every consultant works a bit differently so be sure to ask consultants in the beginning how they approach project scoping and estimating costs and the timeline.  Some consultants will want to start with a “project discovery” phase where they explore in depth your ideas and issues, before committing to a contract amount or scope of work. Other consultants may jump right in with what is most urgent for you right now, working on an hourly basis. Bottom line: Ask as many questions as possible up front to avoid scope creep or running over budget. Lastly, keep in mind it’s possible that consultants will recommend your organization implement other third-party solutions. As a result, make sure you consider the total cost of ownership over the long-term as you map your technology strategy.

Move Forward with Confidence

As a reminder, it’s not required or necessary for HomeKeeper organizations to hire a third-party consultant for most minor customizations. The majority of our new users do not hire a consultant since Salesforce makes it easy to make their own adjustments as needed.  However, if you are looking to add new system capabilities, implementing a larger project or getting up and running quickly, hiring a consultant may be your best bet.  Here are some additional resources you may find useful: 

If you are a consulting partner that has worked with a HomeKeeper organization and are interested in getting on this list or highlighting your recent project, please contact us.