Power of Joy
A centralized event and communication platform for a growing nonprofit serving 100+ members across multiple programs
Stack
Glide
Timeline
2 weeks
Role
Solo
The Challenge
Power of Joy, a 4-year-old nonprofit near Cleveland, runs multiple programs from monthly joy outings for inner-city kids to hiking groups for people who've lost a partner. But their community was fractured. Two programs had independently started using GroupMe. Others relied on newsletters that nobody read.
The executive director's top priority was clear: "Create one app where everyone is under Power of Joy." Members couldn't see what was happening across programs, and communication was scattered across platforms with no single source of truth.
The Solution
I built a unified event management and communication platform that brings all Power of Joy programs into one place. The app handles everything from event discovery and one-click signups to program-specific group chats and member directories.
Built on Glide for nonprofit-friendly pricing, the platform supports 100+ users with role-based permissions for admins, program directors, and members. Events can be created standalone or linked directly to program chats, and an announcements banner on the homepage keeps the community informed about initiatives beyond scheduled events.
How it works
Key features designed to solve the core problem.
Event Discovery & Signups
Multi-view calendar with search and program filters
Multi-View Calendar
Members browse upcoming events in calendar or list view, with advanced search across all event fields and filters by program type.
Event Creation & Publishing
Admins and program directors use a draft/publish workflow to prepare events before making them visible. Event fields are flexible—dates, times, and locations can all be set as needed or left as "TBA."
One-Click Registration
Members sign up for an event instantly with a single tap. The app captures their details automatically, displays a public attendee list, and lets organizers set capacity limits.
Group Communications
Program-specific chats with integrated event coordination
Open Chat System
Any member can participate in any program chat—no approval required. Each chat displays linked events in a scrollable list, and messages appear in real-time with user names and photos.
Chat Moderation
Each chat has an assigned manager who can create events directly from within the chat (auto-linking them), edit chat details, and delete messages. The executive director has full moderation access across all chats.
Homepage Announcements
An admin-controlled banner displays upcoming initiatives that don't fit the event structure, like "Collecting luggage for homeless" or "Save the date for April fundraiser," keeping the community informed beyond scheduled programs.
User Management
Email-based access with searchable member directory
Onboarding & Access
New members sign in via email or Google, complete a profile with their phone number and optional photo, and choose whether to appear in the member directory. Access is invite-only—admins add member email addresses to grant access to the app.
Member Directory
An opt-in searchable directory shows names, photos, emails, and phone numbers for members who want to be listed. Members can toggle their visibility anytime from their profile page.
Role-Based Permissions
Super admins add users and create announcements. Program directors create events and manage their assigned chats. Regular members view events, sign up, participate in any chat, and edit their own profiles.
Let's Build Your Project
Interested in a similar solution? Book a 30-min call to discuss your needs
Can't find a time that works? Email me at richard.y.matuski@gmail.com