Every day, thousands of families across Georgia rely on the Atlanta Community Food Bank for their next meal. The need is urgent and growing, and the organization’s ability to respond quickly can make a real difference for neighbors facing hunger.
The Food Bank has served families across 29 counties for over four decades, distributing 112 million meals in Fiscal Year 2025 alone. But as the organization grew, so did the complexity of their operations and data. They needed a modern data architecture in order to serve their mission effectively.
Disconnected and Drained By Fragmented Systems
For years, the Food Bank relied on siloed ERP, CRM, e-commerce, and volunteer platforms to help manage their large team and hundreds of nonprofit partners. Because the systems weren’t integrated, they struggled with manual reporting, inconsistent data definitions, and limited visibility into key metrics like inventory movement and volunteer engagement.
Staff spent hours manually gathering information from various spreadsheets and emails just to prepare updates for the Board or to craft stories for donors. Not only was it time consuming, but it was nearly impossible timely recognize volunteer contributions and communicate their impact.
On top of that, fragmented systems made it difficult to track inventory movement, leaving teams with limited visibility into what food was available, where it was needed most, and how quickly it could be distributed.
Finding a Partner for Change
The Food Bank began their journey by searching for a partner who understood both nonprofit operations and technology. JourneyTeam stood out for its experience with nonprofits and for its collaborative approach. As Sharay Erskine, CIO of the Food Bank, explained, “We don’t think of JourneyTeam as a vendor. They are part of our team. Their expertise lets us focus on strategy while they handle execution. Together, we’ve been able to move faster and make smarter decisions.”
This sentiment highlights the depth of the partnership and the confidence the Food Bank had in JourneyTeam’s ability to deliver results. Let’s look at their solution.
The Journey to a Unified Data Platform
Modernization began with creating a secure and scalable cloud environment by migrating from on-premises SQL Server to Microsoft Azure. JourneyTeam developed a centralized data lakehouse, integrating data from their ERP (NetSuite), CRM (Dynamics 365), e-commerce, and volunteer management systems. Azure Logic Apps was used to automated data flows, and Power BI dashboards provided real-time access to operational metrics.
The new architecture consolidated and blended current and historical data from multiple systems, so the Food Bank now has a unified view of its operations. Azure Communication Services improved volunteer engagement and strengthened their relationship with corporate partners by automating notifications and feedback. Erskine said it has reduced manual effort significantly and allowed them to “streamline communications in ways we never thought possible.”
You can read more about Atlanta Community Food Bank’s data transformation story here.
Big Wins, Real Impact
With a new data platform, the Atlanta Community Food Bank knows what’s happening in real time. No more digging through spreadsheets or emails – they get instant access to the data they need. “We can finally see the full picture without chasing spreadsheets. It’s a game-changer for how we make decisions,” said Erskine.
It’s faster and it’s easier to recognize the important work volunteers and partners are doing. Tracking volunteer hours used to be a headache. Now, the Food Bank can quickly see how many hours corporate partners have contributed and share that impact with donors. They’re building stronger relationships, celebrating contributions, and ensuring everyone’s efforts are recognized.
A Trusted Advisor for the Road Ahead
The Food Bank’s experience offers a valuable lesson for nonprofits facing similar challenges – a modern data architecture can yield significant benefits, from improved reporting and decision making to enhanced volunteer engagement and donor relations. And, when you partner with a technology provider that understands the unique needs of the nonprofit sector, it can be a streamlined onramp to success.
At JourneyTeam, we combine our expertise with a deep commitment to the nonprofit mission. In fact, we were honored to be recognized as a finalist for the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Nonprofit. It’s a testament to what’s possible when the right technology provider and mission-driven organizations come together.
Moving On, Serving Those In Need
Looking forward, the Food Bank is gearing up for even bigger impact. They’re building their strategic plan, exploring ways to use automation and AI, and making their e-commerce platform more user-friendly for partner agencies.
They want to amplify their focus on getting more nutritious food to families, building stronger partnerships with growers and retailers, and making sure they have the tools and partner support keeps pace with their mission.
This isn’t just about technology. It’s about making sure every decision we make helps us serve our community better.
– Sharay Erskine, Food Bank CIO
Through it all, the Food Bank is committed to making sure every technology investment helps them connect with neighbors, support their partners, and get food to the people who need it faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Learn More
Explore these resources to learn more about modern, cloud-based data platforms and nonprofit technology solutions:
- See AI in action in this short video. You’ll meet “GrantGitter,” a custom Copilot Studio agent built to help nonprofits draft compelling grant letters in minutes.
- Learn how to make a difference with limited resources. It’s in our blog, and you don’t need a massive technology overhaul, or a massive budget, to do so.
- Check out our Fireside Chat, where our we illustrate how nonprofits are thriving with Microsoft technology and AI.
- Contact us and we’ll start a conversation about changing your nonprofit for the better.
