Case Study

Breaking the Cycle

TECH4GOOD•June 2025•15 min read
Implementation Studied

Academic research proves that after 90 days of homelessness, the chance of recovery drops dramatically. SHELTR offers a new platform to attack this crisis from both sides: Crowd funded emergency mobile housing for those on the streets, and next-gen HMIS tools for shelters to maximize efficiency and fundraising.

For detailed documentation, visit our GitHub Repo

Critical Research

The 90-Day Crisis Threshold

Academic studies prove that if a person is homeless for more than 90 days, the chance of them recovering their lives and returning to any sense of normalcy is slim to none.

The Shelter Trap

Nobody's going to get a job or get back on their feet living in a shelter.

  • Shelters provide temporary beds, not stability
  • Apartments can take years to acquire through traditional channels
  • Living in parks and tents while waiting is not a solution
  • The longer someone stays homeless, the harder it becomes to escape
  • Traditional shelter systems can trap people in a cycle they may never escape

The sooner we give them their own place, the sooner they can get back into life.

SHELTR's Two-Pronged Solution

We attack the homelessness epidemic from both sides with distinct but complementary solutions:

Fundraising Technology:

For those on the streets: Direct community fundraising + QR code donations to secure mobile PODS and emergency housing.

  • Personal QR codes for direct community support
  • 80% of donations go directly to participant for PODS/housing
  • Bypass the shelter trap—go straight to independence
  • Mobile, secure, and dignified living space

Next-Gen HMIS:

For shelter operators: Enhance existing operations with AI-powered tools, overflow management, and automated fundraising.

  • Upgrade existing HMIS with next-gen capabilities
  • Overflow relief: connect participants to PODS when full
  • 5% automated operations revenue from participant donations
  • AI analytics, compliance automation, and fundraising tools

SHELTR attacks the homelessness crisis with a dual-purpose platform designed to break the 90-day crisis threshold. First, empower those living in tents and parks with direct community funding to secure mobile PODS and emergency housing—because anything is better than a tent. Second, provide shelters with next-generation HMIS systems for free to maximize their impact and efficiency.

🎯 Core Innovation: Direct-to-participant housing funding + shelter operational excellence

The object is to help those who want to seek out donations amplify that effort and help them secure mobile housing so they don't get sucked into shelter life from which they may never escape. The sooner we give them their own place, the sooner they can get back into life.

Mobile PODS Impact
Direct-to-participant emergency housing
Bypass Shelter Trap100%

Direct to independent living—no shelter stay required

Community Funding80%

Direct to participant for PODS/housing/essentials

Recovery Window<90 Days

Beat the crisis threshold with immediate housing

HMIS Enhancement
Next-gen tools for shelter operators
Admin Time Savings75%

Automated reporting, AI analytics, digital intake

Overflow ManagementSeamless

Connect participants to PODS when shelter is full

Operations Revenue5%

Automated from participant donations via platform

Case Study: Shelter Implementation

A 120-bed shelter transforms operations in 3 weeks with SHELTR's comprehensive platform

The Implementation Journey

📋 Pre-Implementation Challenges

  • • Paper-based intake requiring 45 minutes per participant
  • • Manual bed tracking causing frequent overbooking
  • • 15+ hours weekly spent on compliance reporting
  • • Limited donor visibility reducing fundraising effectiveness
  • • No systematic participant progress tracking
  • • Disconnected service referrals and case management

🚀 Post-Implementation Results

  • • Digital intake completed in under 8 minutes
  • • Real-time bed availability with zero overbooking
  • • Automated reporting saving 12+ hours weekly
  • • Transparent fund tracking increasing donor confidence
  • • Comprehensive participant journey documentation
  • • Integrated service network with automated referrals
1
Setup & Configuration
Week 1: Foundation

"Our IT team was amazed by how quickly we got everything running. The platform configured itself to our existing workflows seamlessly." - IT Director

  • Platform deployment and security setup
  • Staff training sessions (4 hours total)
  • Data migration from existing systems
2
Participant Onboarding
Week 2: Going Live

"Participants loved their QR codes immediately. Many asked if they could share them with family members right away." - Case Manager

  • Digital intake for 85 existing participants
  • QR code generation and explanation
  • Blockchain wallet setup and education
3
Full Operations
Week 3: Optimization

"By week 3, we couldn't imagine going back to our old system. Everything just works better now." - Shelter Director

  • Full platform deployment active
  • First donations and revenue automation
  • Analytics and optimization workflows

Comprehensive Platform Features

Everything you need to run a modern, efficient, and transparent shelter operation

Participant Management
Digital check-in process8x faster
Case file management100% digital
Progress tracking & analyticsReal-time
Automated Reporting
HUD compliance reportsAuto-generated
Impact analytics dashboardLive updates
Grant reporting templatesOne-click
Blockchain Transparency
Fund distribution tracking100% visible
Transaction verificationImmutable
Donor confidence & trustEnhanced
Outcome Tracking
Housing placement successAuto-tracked
Service utilization metricsMeasured
Long-term stability monitoringContinuous

Built on SHELTR's Three Revolutionary Pillars

Our SmartFund™ technology creates sustainable support systems through automated blockchain distribution

Pillar 1: Direct Support (85%)

Immediate participant funding + welcome bonus system drives donor confidence and recurring support

Pillar 2: Housing Fund (10%)

Automated savings with 4.2% yield creates visible progress toward permanent housing goals

Pillar 3: Shelter Operations (5%)

Sustainable funding for operations, staff development, technology upgrades, and program expansion

Scenario: 100 Participants

Conservative projections show how SHELTR technology can create financial sustainability through participant-driven revenue generation and donor engagement automation.

Monthly Revenue Projection
Conservative estimate: $500 per participant monthly fundraising average
100 Participants × $500/month$50,000
Direct Participant Support (85%)$42,500
Housing Fund (10%)$5,000
SHELTER DISTRIBUTION (5%)$2,500
Annual Financial Impact
Sustainable recurring revenue model with growth potential
$30,000
Annual Shelter Revenue
$600,000
Total Platform Volume
300% ROI

Typical first-year return on technology investment

Donor Engagement Disruption

SHELTR's invisible gamification mechanics transform casual donors into committed long-term supporters

Gamification Mechanics
Psychological triggers that drive sustained engagement
Progress Visualization
Real-time housing fund growth with visual progress bars
Milestone Celebrations
Achievement notifications for employment, housing approvals
Impact Leaderboards
Social proof through community impact rankings
Distance Relationship Building
Technology-enabled personal connections across geography
Engagement Technologies
Seamless tools that maximize donor participation
Personal QR Codes
One-tap donations with instant blockchain confirmation
Recurring Automation
Set-and-forget monthly support with smart contract automation
Real-time Analytics
Live impact dashboards showing fund utilization and outcomes
Blockchain Transparency
Immutable proof of fund distribution and impact verification

Typical Donor Journey

1

Discovery ($5-20)

Initial QR code scan, small test donation

2

Engagement ($25-100)

Progress tracking, milestone celebrations increase giving

3

Commitment ($100-500)

Recurring monthly support, relationship building

4

Advocacy ($500+)

Social sharing, recruiting other donors, major gifts

Average donor value increases 15x from discovery to advocacy stage

Platform gamification accelerates this journey from 18 months to 6 months

Revenue Generation Timeline

From setup to sustainable monthly income in under 30 days

1
Setup & Launch
Week 1
  • Platform configuration
  • Participant onboarding
  • QR code generation
$0
Initial revenue
2
First Donations
Week 2-3
  • QR code activation
  • Initial donor engagement
  • 5% revenue automation
$200-500
Early revenue
3
Momentum Building
Month 1
  • Donor relationship growth
  • Recurring donations setup
  • Social media sharing
$1,000+
Monthly revenue
4
Sustainable Revenue
Month 2-3
  • Full participant portfolio
  • Automated monthly income
  • Growth optimization
$2,500+
Target achieved

Projected Monthly Revenue Growth (100 Participants)

Week 1$0
Week 2$200
Week 3$500
Month 1$1,200
Month 2$1,800
Month 3$2,500
Month 4$2,750
Month 5$3,000
Month 6$3,200
Month 7+$3,500+

Conservative projection: 200% month-over-month growth in first quarter

Actual results often exceed projections due to viral sharing and community support

Key Features & Benefits

Purpose-built for the unique challenges of homelessness services

Participant Management
Digital check-in process95% faster
Case file management100% digital
Progress trackingReal-time
Automated Reporting
Compliance reportsAuto-generated
Impact analyticsLive dashboard
Grant reportingOne-click
Blockchain Transparency
Fund tracking100% visible
Transaction verificationImmutable
Donor confidenceEnhanced
Outcome Tracking
Housing placementsAuto-tracked
Service utilizationMeasured
Long-term stabilityMonitored

Return on Investment

Organizations typically see positive ROI within 3 months of implementation

$15,000
Annual staff time savings
Based on 15 hours/week × $20/hour
$25,000
Additional grant funding
From improved reporting & outcomes
300%
First-year ROI
Typical organization results

The Disruption Starts Now

Transform your revenue model while providing unprecedented support.

$30,000
Annual Impact Potential
Conservative 100-participant estimate
30 Days
To First Revenue
From implementation to income
24/7
Automated Income
Blockchain works while you sleep

Conservative Financial Projections

🎯 Month 1 Targets

  • • 25 participants onboarded and active
  • • $200-500 in initial donations generated
  • • 5% shelter operations revenue ($10-25)
  • • Donor engagement systems activated

🚀 Month 3 Achievements

  • • 100 participants generating $50,000 monthly
  • • $2,500 monthly shelter operations revenue
  • • Recurring donor base established
  • • Gamification driving 300% engagement

🛡️ Risk-Free Implementation Guarantee

If you don't see positive ROI within 90 days, we'll refund your setup investment and help transition participants to alternative solutions at no cost.

We're so confident in SHELTR's financial impact that we guarantee results. Your success is our success.

Limited early-adopter pricing available for the first 50 shelters