Digitizing Intake & Secure Data Management for a National Veterans Nonprofit

Situation

As K9s For Warriors expanded nationally, their intake and internal data processes needed to evolve to support continued growth.

Veteran applications were entirely paper-based—often faxed in—and required significant staff assistance due to the length and complexity of the forms. Internally, the organization relied on a combination of tools that were not originally designed for a growing, national program managing sensitive veteran information at scale.

This created several operational challenges:

• Significant staff time dedicated to supporting manual application processes
• Limited visibility and control across systems as the organization expanded
• The need for stronger infrastructure to support security, compliance, and long-term scalability

Leadership recognized the opportunity to modernize their systems in order to better support veterans, staff, and future growth.

Solution

Feature[23] partnered with K9s For Warriors to design and build a secure, custom software platform aligned with their operational realities and long-term vision.

Key Initiatives Included:

Digitized Application Experience
Replaced paper-based forms with a secure, user-friendly online application that reduced friction for applicants while streamlining internal workflows.

Custom “Warrior Database”
Built a centralized system to manage veteran records, application status, internal notes, and program progression — with structured, role-based access controls to support responsible data management.

Backend Automation & Integrations
Approved applicants are automatically created as records in the system, eliminating duplicate data entry and reducing administrative overhead.

Custom Reporting Tools
Enabled staff to generate filtered reports (e.g., demographics, geography, program participation) to support grant applications, donor reporting, and strategic decision-making.

Results

• Significantly reduced staff time spent assisting applicants through manual intake
• Strengthened data governance and access controls to support responsible handling of sensitive information
• Increased confidence in reporting accuracy for fundraising and compliance
• Established a scalable, secure foundation to support continued national growth
  
  

Why Custom Software

Off-the-shelf donor and CRM platforms did not provide the flexibility, workflow alignment, or long-term data governance required to support a growing national veterans program. By implementing a purpose-built platform, K9s For Warriors was able to modernize operations, strengthen security and compliance practices as they scale, improve efficiency across teams, and build a resilient foundation that protects and advances their mission for years to come.