At a Glance
Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake helps people become self-sufficient through job training. They had ambitious plans, like opening a tuition-free adult high school, and needed a partner to advise and execute. SC&H helped launch the school, upgrade technology, and transform back-office processes for good.
Key Results
9 months
to launch free adult high school
15 hrs
saved per month in manual tasks
60%
decrease in IT security costs
Client
Industry
nonprofit
“SC&H has been a valuable partner as we upgraded our IT capabilities and, specifically, as we launched our adult high school, The Excel Center.
SC&H was able to assist in all technical requirements, including IT infrastructure, selecting education software, and hiring a dedicated IT staff member for the school. Their support has helped to make the school an overwhelming success.”
Lisa Rusyniak
President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake
Client Challenges
Outdated tech systems for managing 35 retail locations, multiple facilities, and 700+ employees
Lacked IT support to manage growing infrastructure and cybersecurity needs
Fragmented data sources undermined reporting accuracy and delayed decision-making
Inefficient financial processes and leadership turnover took away from the team’s time to be strategic
A several-month backlog of key account reconciliations threatened the urgent audit deadline
SC&H Solutions
Planned and implemented educational platforms, AV, network, and technology for adult high school
Consolidated e-commerce operations into the Wilmarco facility ahead of schedule
Modernized their Microsoft 365/Azure system and led implementation of Sage Intacct ERP
Centralized data in an Azure Data Warehouse and made it accessible instantly with Power BI
Resolved critical accounting backlogs and standardized financial processes
The Results: Reaching Their Growth Goals
9 months
to launch best-in-class tuition-free high school
511
students enrolled since the school opened
50%
reduction in manual data efforts
15 hours
saved per month on real-time report distribution
60%
decrease in IT security costs
100 days
reconciled 11 accounts that were 9 months behind
THE STORY
Breaking the Poverty Cycle with Job Training
Many people know Goodwill for their thrift stores, but at its core, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Marylanders through workforce development. They provide free job training to help individuals overcome barriers to employment and gain the skills and stability needed to build independent lives.
“Our mission is to help people in Maryland gain job skills, upskill, and advance into better-paying jobs to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty,” said Scott Hollingsworth, CFO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake.
A Strategic Roadmap, Without Enough IT Support
As one of the largest nonprofit organizations in Baltimore, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake was trying to manage 35 retail locations, a combined e-commerce warehouse and recycling center, and more than 700 employees–while serving 58,000+ individuals–with one IT person and an outdated tech environment.
With big initiatives on their roadmap, including launching a high school for adults, modernizing IT infrastructure, consolidating retail operations into a new $25M facility, and becoming a more data-driven organization, they needed a strategic partner who could advise and execute.
“It was important to us to find a partner who could be an advisor on strategic topics, but could also help execute when we needed it,” said Scott.
“That’s one of the things that I love about SC&H. As a nonprofit, we have limited resources, and our needs ebb and flow. We appreciate that we can make targeted investments where we need it most, while maintaining this base layer of strategic support.”
Building an Adult High School in 9 Months
More than 80,000 adults in Baltimore don’t have a high school diploma. Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake’s vision was to turn its former headquarters into a fully functioning school within 9 months—a major undertaking.
We began our partnership with a full IT assessment to establish a baseline, but the top priority was launching The Excel Center, a tuition-free high school for Marylanders over 21. This school would help adults finish their high school education and acquire an industry-recognized skill credential to support career and economic development.
Our Technology Advisory team delivered. We built a brand-new IT environment, sourced and implemented key educational systems, managed infrastructure, and oversaw the construction and setup of AV, Wi-Fi, and classroom tech.
“We created an educational institution in under 9 months, from start to finish,” said Garrett Datz, Principal of SC&H’s Technology Advisory practice.
The Excel Center’s unique approach holistically supports each student, providing Life Coaches, foundational educational remediation, transportation, 20+ career certificates, and on-site childcare. Since its 2023 opening, the school has enrolled over 500 students in flexible 8-week terms that are held year-round.
Improving Technology Across the Organization
Once The Excel Center launched, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake extended its partnership with SC&H to modernize operations enterprise-wide.
Our Data Strategy & Analytics team jumped in to tackle inefficiencies caused by siloed data systems. We built a consolidated Azure Data Warehouse and integrated key systems, including their ERP, to reduce manual reporting efforts by 50%.
We also launched a Power BI app that gave their team real-time access to KPIs to help them make faster, data-informed decisions. With these changes, the Finance team alone saves 15 hours per month in manual reporting.
Meanwhile, our Technology Advisory team partnered with the new IT Director to lead a comprehensive Microsoft 365/Azure modernization initiative. We implemented a secure, scalable endpoint management framework across the organization. This included device compliance policies, identity and access management improvements, application packaging and deployment, and policy enforcement.
The results were significant:
- A 50% reduction in the time required to provision and deploy end-user workstations, which accelerated onboarding and operational readiness
- And a 60% reduction in third-party endpoint protection costs through consolidation under Microsoft Defender
“Outside of the not-for-profit space, we need to be as efficient as any midsize organization,” said Scott. “SC&H understood that and helped us.”
Continuing Flexible, Fractional Support
As Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake evolves, SC&H continues to be a reliable full-service partner.
When they consolidated their retail operations from two facilities into a new $25M warehouse, we led the IT close-down and setup. When they hired a new IT Director, we filled in the gaps to ensure continuity. And when they needed a new ERP system, our ERP advisory team helped them select Sage Intacct and led project management through the implementation.
Our Accounting team also helped them complete bank reconciliations in time for an audit, clean up accounts, and establish new financial best practices with their incoming Controller. No matter their need, we’re here to support their mission of serving the community.
“What we love most about working with SC&H is having a sounding board. It truly is advisory work,” said Scott. “Being able to say, ‘Hey, a lot of other Goodwills are using this solution–you guys see this all the time–what do you think?’ and get synthesized feedback, it’s just invaluable.”
