Slack Channel: #npo-newrr
Nature's Edge Wildlife and Reptile Rescue (NEWRR) faces challenges due to manual processes in managing donations, animal intake, and adoption forms. These methods are prone to inaccuracies, inefficiencies, and disorganization. They rely on spreadsheets and handwritten thank-you cards, which delay donor communication and complicate data management. Additionally, the lack of integration between existing tools (e.g., email platforms, third-party services) hinders operational efficiency. NEWRR requires a cloud-based solution to streamline these processes, automate communication, manage forms digitally, and improve donor engagement while ensuring compatibility with existing tools and user-friendly access for staff and volunteers.
Our project offers a comprehensive cloud-based solution specifically designed for Nature’s Edge Wildlife and Reptile Rescue. It replaces the current manual processes with digital tools, streamlining the management of donations, automating the creation of personalized thank-you cards, and efficiently handling animal intake and adoption forms. This integrated platform enhances operational efficiency, allowing Nature’s Edge to focus more on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation while improving donor engagement and ensuring seamless compatibility with existing tools.
The backend is built using:
- FastAPI
- PostgreSQL
The frontend is built using:
- React
- Bootstrap
The cloud solution for this is built using:
- Railway
Follow these instructions to set up and run the project locally.
Ensure you have the following installed:
Start by cloning the project repository:
git clone https://github.com/2024-Arizona-Opportunity-Hack/SPARKS-Nature-sEdgeWildlife-Nature-sEdgeWildlifeandReptileRescueDigitalTransformation.git
cd SPARKS-Nature-sEdgeWildlife-Nature-sEdgeWildlifeandReptileRescueDigitalTransformation/Navigate to the client directory, install the required packages, and start the frontend:
cd client
npm install
npm startThis will start the React frontend on localhost:3000.
In a new terminal window, navigate to the server directory, install the necessary Python dependencies, and start the backend:
cd server
pip install -r requirements.txt
uvicorn main:app --reloadThis will start the FastAPI backend on localhost:8000.
One significant challenge we encountered was the inability to successfully integrate a donation management system with third-party services such as GiveButter and PayPal Donations. The primary reason for this is that most of these services require details that we are currently unable to provide, such as bank account numbers and license IDs. To address this issue, we have temporarily developed a mock-up to illustrate how the donation transaction process would look.
The solution we developed is the core of our project, and we're proud of its functionality. While not without its limitations, it effectively addresses the key challenges faced by Nature's Edge Wildlife and Reptile Rescue, especially considering we built it within a short timeframe. With further refinement, we believe this system can be optimized even more, and we look forward to improving it as we continue to collaborate with Nature's Edge.
Through working with Nature's Edge Wildlife and Reptile Rescue, we gained valuable insights into the challenges faced by nonprofit organizations in managing their operations with limited resources. Understanding the complexities of donation tracking, animal intake, and adoption processes helped us better tailor our solution to their needs. It was a rewarding experience to develop a system that has the potential to streamline their workflow and enhance their ability to focus on their mission of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.