How Humane Action Pittsburgh Streamlines Operations and Expands Impact with Smarter Nonprofit Software

Since 2015, Humane Action Pittsburgh (HAP) has worked tirelessly to advocate for animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and human health. With over 25 active campaigns, the nonprofit tackles challenges like ending puppy mill suffering, reducing single-use plastics and educating the public about the benefits of living more harmoniously with animals. 

HAP’s goals are ambitious, and they’ve accomplished a lot in the last decade. And while their goals may be relatively unique, the challenges they face are similar to that of many nonprofits in various sectors. They struggle to communicate with their wide range of constituents, keep track of their finances, and of course, raise enough money to maximize their impact. 

In 2022, HAP was able to hire their first paid employee to help tackle those challenges. Shannon  Dickerson was brought in as the Director of Operations with the goal of setting HAP up for growth and ensuring they were using their funds efficiently. 

Shannon quickly realized that the systems they had in place weren’t going to get the job done, and sought to find a database that could handle their growing database of supporters but wouldn’t be prohibitively expensive. 

The Challenge: Room to Grow Without Punishment

As HAP grew, they faced a frustrating reality that many nonprofits encounter: rising software costs. As they brought in more donors and added more constituents to their email campaigns, the monthly bill for their software increased. 

“We were basically being punished for being successful,” Shannon said. Furthermore, the existing system lacked the functionality to meet their unique needs as a nonprofit.

So in her new role, one Shannon began researching alternatives, and didn’t have a lot of luck initially. She  found that many CRMs and software solutions were either too expensive, designed primarily for corporations, or failed to deliver the functionality nonprofits require. 

That’s when she turned to MonkeyPod, a platform designed with nonprofits in mind.

A Solution That Fits

MonkeyPod offered HAP what other systems didn’t:  

• Unlimited users and contacts without escalating costs.  
• Integrated donor management, communications, and accounting, eliminating the need for multiple systems.  
• Features tailored specifically to nonprofits, rather than retrofitted corporate tools.  

“It was a no-brainer,” Shannon said. “Other systems were charging more, doing less, and weren’t even tailored to nonprofits.”

Improving Constituent Communication

Shannon’s first step with MonkeyPod was to bring over HAP’s constituent data and start streamlining their email communication. Communication about the various issues they advocate for is critical to HAP’s mission, and they needed to make sure their constituents got the information they care most about. 

“We have so many different campaigns—some people care about pollinators, while others are focused on legislation,” Shannon said.

Once their data was in MonkeyPod, HAP was able to better segment their communication, enhancing their communication and helping them tailor their messaging to their supporters. 

“MonkeyPod helps us reach the right people with the right message,” Shannon said. 

Moving their communication and constituent management to MonkeyPod has improved HAP’s fundraising and education initiatives, driving greater engagement and impact. “It opens up time and creates efficiency, letting us put more energy into achieving our goals.”

Getting the Books in Order

Once they simplified their communication efforts, Shannon had the bandwidth to start looking for other ways to enhance their operations. Her next ambition was to tackle their accounting efforts.   

Before they moved their books to MonkeyPod, HAP faced year-end accounting headaches that cost both time and money. They hired an accountant to do all of their tax forms at the end of the year, but because they were not investing in our bookkeeping throughout the year, it proved to be a massive undertaking. 

“We ended up spending thousands of dollars to get all of the information that they needed, and they were spending so many hours on it that it just wasn't cost effective.”

After moving their books to MonkeyPod, things quickly became more efficient. Because MonkeyPod works as their fundraising platform and integrates with their online banking platform, most of their transactions are now automatically recorded. 

To make things even easier, HAP enlisted MonkeyPod’s bookkeeping team to help with accounting throughout the year. Now, with monthly check-ins and a seamless process for managing expenses and receipts, Shannon can confidently say, “Our taxes are going to practically do themselves.”  

Unlocking Potential Through Automation and Insight

With financial and constituent management all happening in one place, HAP had greater insight into their impact than ever before. Not only did they have time back in their day, but they could use that time to make more informed decisions about their campaigns. 

“It just made so much sense to be able to do all of our donor management, all of our communications, and all of our accounting through one piece of software,” Shannon said. 

Whether the team is looking up information as they strategize internally or generating reports for grant writing efforts, the information they need is more accessible than ever before. 

“We can quickly look up things like, ‘How much did our gala cost last year?” and then compare that to our budget this year. It's seamless to pull up that information and look at it.” 

This newfound efficiency allows HAP to focus on what matters: their mission.

Looking Ahead

For nonprofits like HAP, where every dollar and hour matters, their partnership with MonkeyPod has been transformative. 

“MonkeyPod has been instrumental in helping us grow. It’s not just about saving money—it’s about investing in tools that enable us to do more for the causes we care about,” Shannon said.

HAP’s goals remain ambitious: passing crucial animal protection laws, expanding community programming, and continuing to advocate for compassion and sustainability. With a strong foundation powered by tools like MonkeyPod, they’re equipped to keep driving change. They’ve been able to save time and money, but more importantly, they’ve amplified their impact.

If you’d like to learn more about Humane Action Pittsburgh or support their work, visit HumaneActionPittsburgh.org. 

Curious to learn how smarter solutions could work for your nonprofit? Explore tools that let you focus on your mission, not your to-do list by scheduling a demo of MonkeyPod.