Case Study: Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing beds to underserved youth between the ages of three and seventeen. By addressing a fundamental need, SHP aims to support the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children in need. 

What started as a modest operation in a garage during the Christmas season of 2012 has since transformed into a nationwide movement. 

Today, SHP operates 339 chapters across the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, and Bermuda and the organization has set an ambitious goal to build 365,000 beds by 2028.

Challenges

As Sleep in Heavenly Peace grew rapidly, it encountered several operational challenges. With over 250,000 volunteers and 339 chapters spread across the country, SHP’s growth quickly outpaced the capabilities of its existing tools. This rapid expansion demanded a scalable solution to maintain operational efficiency.

Coupled with a decentralized structure, it led to inconsistencies in how chapters were managed. This created challenges in maintaining uniformity while allowing individual chapters to address their unique local needs.

With an ambitious goal of building 365,000 beds by 2028, the SHP team needed to efficiently onboard and train volunteers including making sure volunteers were well-prepared and aligned with SHP’s mission was essential to its success.

Lastly, SHP recognized the untapped potential of its large volunteer base as a source of financial support. Encouraging volunteers to contribute as donors was vital to sustaining the organization’s ambitious goals. Addressing these challenges became pivotal for SHP to achieve its ambitious mission.

How Golden Helped

To tackle these challenges, SHP partnered with Golden to implement a comprehensive volunteer management platform tailored to its needs. 

Scalability

Golden’s platform seamlessly supported SHP’s rapid growth, enabling the organization to manage its vast volunteer network and 339 chapters efficiently. 

In 2023, SHP delivered slightly over 60,000 beds. By 2024, the organization delivered 75,669 beds, projecting a year-over-year growth of approximately 19.02%. This trajectory underscores the effectiveness of Golden’s solution in scaling SHP’s operations.

Centralized System

The platform provided a unified system that ensured consistency across chapters while allowing for customization to meet individual chapter requirements. This balanced approach addressed both the need for uniformity and flexibility.

Across all their chapters, Golden’s platform provided a stable and uniform experience for volunteers, ensuring that every chapter operated with the same level of professionalism and effectiveness.

Streamlined Onboarding and Training

Robust training modules and user-friendly onboarding processes made it easier for new volunteers to integrate quickly, alleviating administrative burdens on chapter leaders.

Within six months, 90% of SHP’s independently run chapters were onboarded with Golden. This included volunteers with diverse schedules, demonstrating the platform’s adaptability and ease of use.

"Golden's onboarding and training was easily one of the best experiences we have ever had. The Golden support team and training has been amazing," says an affiliated partner of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Self-Service Capabilities

Golden’s self-service tools empowered chapters to independently manage events and volunteer activities, enhancing efficiency and reducing reliance on centralized administrative support.

Optimized volunteer management processes resulted in a 30% increase in event efficiency. This improvement allowed SHP to maximize the impact of its resources and reach more children in need.

"Golden gave Sleep in Heavenly Peace the opportunity to completely revamp and improve our volunteer experience from registration to event," says an affiliated partner at Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace logged 506,980 volunteer hours in 2024 with 138,422 sign ups, helping them serve their communities and children across the country. At the end of 2024, SHP Chapters covered an estimated 77 million people in the United States.

Through its partnership with Golden and Fundraise Up, Sleep in Heavenly Peace successfully addressed its operational challenges and achieved significant milestones in its mission to provide beds for children in need. 

The scalable platform not only streamlined volunteer management and event coordination but also enhanced the volunteer-to-donor journey, ensuring financial sustainability. With these advancements, SHP is well on its way to reaching its goal of building 365,000 beds by 2028, ensuring that no child sleeps on the floor in their community.

For more information about Golden’s solutions, contact sales@goldenvolunteer.com or visit goldenvolunteer.com.