The mission of EUROTOPIA.CZ, o.p.s. is to make the lives of families in the region better. We have been dedicated to this task for 23 years, and in that time we have grown from a branch with one social service and three employees working on a work agreement to an organisation that is based in five cities, provides 11 social services, accompanies foster families and organises a number of follow-up events for its clients, cooperates with more than 1000 families a year and employs almost 40 staff.
Our organization has grown in waves, with individual branches added incrementally and so has the number of staff. The main challenge for our leadership has always been to secure funding at a level that allows us to provide the services and follow-up activities at the scale needed and to match them to the needs of our clients. However, as the organisation has grown to its current form, the management and coordination arrangements that have been in place to date have also come up against their limits at all levels. It was necessary to pause and reflect on what needed to change in order for the organisation to continue to be able to face the various societal changes and pitfalls of the not-for-profit world.
If we were to describe all the steps we have taken as an organisation over the last two years, it would take many lines, but it is important to mention that one of the key areas we needed to strengthen was digitisation and the introduction of new tools to make our work more efficient. The Freelo tool has provided invaluable help in this regard, helping us to do things better.
Why did we choose Freelo?
- The tool impressed us already in its free trial version with its simple user interface.
- It is a Czech product with Czech technical support, where we can call for help when we need it.
- Technical support is always available and willing to help us if we don’t know what to do.
- Freelo is nothing complicated, it’s a helper – a digital friend that we can introduce to everything.
- Freelo has a sophisticated training system.
Freelo is of course most useful for project, fundraising and PR staff. Here it provides us with a space where we have all our projects and tasks in one place.
- We can see what we need to do and who we have assigned to do the work.
- We can talk about projects directly in Freel and don’t have to track down information in lengthy email conversations – meaning fewer lost emails and faster communication.
- Freelo shows us how projects are progressing. When something needs our attention or a deadline is burning somewhere, we know right away. If we want to discuss a specific document, we can save it to a project and have it within reach.
- Freelo helps us keep track of our campaigns and communication with donors.
And, of course, thanks to Freelo, the organization’s leadership can keep track of what’s rustling and who’s not doing their job.
Freelo also finds its use with social service managers and coordinators of smaller projects who work directly with clients.
Freelo gives them more time to focus on what they enjoy and find fulfilling about their work – the clients. Thanks to Freelo, our staff can spend less time in front of computers and more time focusing on concrete activities and helping those in need. Freelo helps them effectively plan specific events, of which we organize dozens throughout the year – day trips, suburban camps, experiential stays, foster parent education, educational stays, a talent competition, and many more.
The Freelo application was acquired within the DIGI-IMPACT project – Transformation of EUROTOPIA.CZ, o.p.s. in the field of digitalization. The project was supported by the OSF Foundation under the Active Citizens Fund programme, which aims to support civil society and strengthen the capacity of non-profit organisations. The programme is funded by the EEA and Norway Grants.
