Habitat for Humanity Donations Kiosks Launch at Silicon Valley Location

For nonprofits that accept donations of physical goods, one of the biggest challenges is managing supply. Habitat for Humanity donations are the lifeblood of their home improvement ReStores. These stores and donation centers sell new and gently used household items to the public. The revenues from Habitat’s ReStores help fund the construction of homes for low-income families around North America and beyond.

A new self-serve kiosk solution is saving time for both donors and staff at Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley (HEBSV). The kiosk is a first of its kind for Habitat, but plans for a national rollout are in the works. The volume and frequency of the used building supplies donations can be unpredictable, arriving at any hour of the day in all shapes, sizes, quantities, and qualities. The staff at Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley knew there had to be a better way than the paper receipts process they were using, forcing donors to wait (sometimes in line) to complete.

New Self Serve Kiosks Save Time and Paper

Matt Nelson is Project Specialist at Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley. He’s happy to be leaving the era of paper behind for good. “Historically we have used paper receipts, but this process is slow and wrought with the potential for error,” says Nelson. “Frequently the handwritten information is illegible, receipts are misplaced and data is inaccurately entered into our systems.”

That’s the kind of waste that leads to hidden costs. “This process is labor-intensive and uses lots of paper, which is inconsistent with our eco-friendly business model.”

Now, the option of a self-serve online form lets donors enter their contact and donation information. Additionally, the form is available at a kiosk at the Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley receiving dock. “The online form saves our donors time and offers them the convenience of automatically receiving a professional-looking email receipt containing all the details they need for tax purposes,” says Nelson.

We’re Proud to Help Encourage Habitat for Humanity Donations

“Vonigo is proud to be the software platform that the donation forms are built on,” says Vonigo CEO John Carter. “Improvements like the kiosks, the online forms and online booking of mobile pickups make it easier for donors, which encourages more Habitat for Humanity donations. It’s a very worthy cause.”

“Vonigo automatically captures the details of each donation. I can use the management console to easily view, filter and aggregate this information,” says Nelson. “Before Vonigo, we had stacks and stacks of paper donation receipts just waiting to be manually entered.”

“I also cannot emphasize enough the value of being able to make business decisions based on accurate data,” he adds. “We will save about 5 hours per store each month in data entry and another $50 per store per month in office supplies.”

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 in Americus, GA by Millard and Linda Fuller. Today the organization boasts nearly 1,400 affiliates across the U.S. and in approximately 70 countries. Since 1986, the Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley (HEBSV) affiliate has worked to build homes, communities, and hope. HEBSV focuses on individuals in the Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties of Northern California. HEBSV supports its mission by operating four ReStores.