How CRR utilized monday.com to transform disaster response

When disaster strikes, every second counts. In those critical moments, the ability to coordinate resources, manage tasks, and communicate across teams can make the difference between chaos and an effective, life-saving response. That’s where the power of monday.com Foundation ERT comes in.

Crisis Relief and Recovery (CRR) is an organization dedicated to providing immediate humanitarian aid and supporting long-term recovery efforts in communities affected by disasters. Their mission is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and help rebuild communities after crises, ensuring they are more resilient in the future. However, coordinating resources during such events can be challenging due to logistical difficulties, limited resources, and the need to align efforts across various organizations, all while navigating security risks, communication barriers, and cultural sensitivities.

As part of its mission to deliver faster, more efficient help in the most challenging of times, CRR partnered with mondayERT, in order to transform emergency management workflows.

By integrating monday.com’s digital emergency management tools into their operations, CRR teams gained the ability to track critical resources in real-time, manage their responses to hurricanes, and collaborate with all stakeholders - whether they were on the ground in affected areas or coordinating efforts remotely. These tools allowed CRR to respond more efficiently, with a streamlined process that adapts as situations evolve on the ground.

The partnership with mondayERT was amplified through Carbon Web, a monday.com channel partner that volunteered to work alongside ERT to tailor digital tools for CRR. This collaboration focuses on real-time tracking of critical resources and improving communication for effective disaster response. Carbon Web’s expertise in creating efficient digital ecosystems supports CRR’s on-the-ground efforts, enhancing their ability to manage complex operations and make informed decisions based on the most up-to-date information.

We spoke with Dave Hearn, Director of Operations at CRR, about the team's efforts in disaster relief and how the use of digital tools has enhanced their operations:

When did you start using monday.com and why?
We first used monday.com during Hurricane Helene, but it was after Hurricane Idalia when we truly adopted it for coordinating home rebuild efforts in Florida. We used construction templates to track tasks and manage our grant, and that’s when we realized its power.

What challenges or inefficiencies did you encounter before platform adoption?
Before, we used several systems - Salesforce for CRM, paper checklists for damage assessments, and more. It was inefficient. monday.com helped integrate our operations, and now we use it for almost everything.

What needs or gaps did it help address in your previous workflows?
In disaster relief, we assess damage and coordinate hundreds of volunteers across multiple projects. monday.com allowed us to manage these tasks efficiently, track volunteer hours, and visualize progress.

Which features of monday.com have been most valuable for managing team coordination and tracking resources in real-time?
The visualization tools are key for me. Real-time dashboards allow teams on the ground to update their hours and job statuses, which we can see back at the operations center. It’s quick to grasp and shows the progress of our efforts.

How has monday.com helped your work during a crisis? Can you share an example of real-time response in the field?
We started using it deeply during Hurricane Helene. We tracked everything from volunteer hours to job statuses, in real-time. This system allowed us to collect data, monitor operations, and report to donors without relying on paper or spreadsheets.

How are you tracking critical resources (such as medical supplies, personnel, and equipment) during emergencies, and what benefits does real-time tracking provide?
For us, the critical resources are people. We need to know who’s on our team, who the leaders are, who the volunteers are, and where they are to keep them safe. This was something we couldn’t track before. With monday.com, we now have a way to monitor our volunteers, what they’re doing, and how they’re working. It’s helped us ensure their safety and coordination in ways we weren’t able to do before.

Have you faced any difficulties in adapting to the tools under high-pressure conditions? How did you overcome them?
There was some training needed for new volunteers, but the tool is intuitive. The monday.com team has been great at assisting with any integration challenges, making it easier for us to overcome those hurdles.

What advice would you offer to other organizations looking to improve their disaster response capabilities?
Use monday.com as much as you can. It’s been incredibly helpful for our small nonprofit. The customer support has been excellent, and the tool is powerful yet user-friendly. It’s helped us improve how we deliver aid, and it’s made our job easier.

Any final thoughts?

‍I’ve been a big proponent of monday.com, and my team has quickly understood its importance. We’ve moved away from Salesforce and now use monday.com’s CRM, which is much more user-friendly. I’m excited to dive deeper into its more advanced features in the future.