A Kanata North company is helping non-profits, hospitals and community groups mobilize teams of volunteers to help their cause and respond to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
InitLive, which develops software for managing and scheduling event staff – including a platform for on-the-ground messaging – is donating the use of its platform to help organizations streamline recruitment, scheduling and deployment phases of their programs. The local company notes that many groups are under pressure to meet the needs of their community causes while still relying on outdated systems such as spreadsheets.
“Our goal is to provide the tools these groups need to quickly mobilize temporary workforces in their communities,” InitLive CEO Chris Courneya said in a statement. “We will be working with each organization to address their unique challenges.”
One of the groups benefiting from InitLive’s offer is United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County, which is using the donation to scale its operations to respond to demand for volunteers.
“We’re excited to work with InitLive to recruit and deploy volunteers … as we mobilize to feed vulnerable people and help those who are at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Andrew Bothamley, the organization’s vice-president of finance and operations, in a statement.
InitLive was launched in 2013 by co-founders Debbie and Melissa Pinard – a mother-daughter team – and was soon adopted by users in more than two dozen countries. The platform was used during several high-profile local celebrations marking Canada’s 150th anniversary, including the Grey Cup and the Juno Awards.
Courneya, the former CEO of Kanata-based prairieFyre, was named chief executive in 2018.