How Minerva Network increased athlete registrations by 50% with a custom CRM and portal

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The Problem

In 2022, Minerva Network set a bold goal: engage 1,000 athletes by 2025. But with limited resources and growing demand, their existing systems couldn’t keep up. Key challenges included:

• Manual processes: Operations ran on Google Sheets, emails, and file reviews—creating major admin overhead.
• Confusing registration flows: Multiple forms led to incomplete or inconsistent data.
• No engagement tracking: The Minerva Network couldn’t reliably measure athlete or mentor participation.
• Resource constraints: A small, rotating team of volunteers, council members, and pro-bono partners struggled to manage the growing load.

Minerva Network needed a digital solution that fit a nonprofit budget, worked for multiple stakeholders (including staff, council, athletes, volunteers, and mentors) and could grow with the team's changing needs.

The Solution

Minerva Network’s fractional COO, Kristy Bayley, partnered with Softr expert Shenal Harakh to design a flexible, scalable digital system built entirely with no-code tools.

They started by centralizing data in Airtable, creating a single CRM for athletes, mentors, and industry partners. With Airtable and Twilio, they automated reminders, follow-ups, and task triggers—freeing up the team’s time and reducing errors.

From there, Shenal built a custom portal using Softr, giving mentors and athletes a place to manage relationships and access resources.

Key features include:

• Secure sign-on: Built-in authentication protected user data and scaled easily.
• Registration & networking: Users could sign up, update profiles, and connect with others across The Minerva Network.
• Surveys: Early engagement data was collected through built-in Airtable + Softr forms.
• Learning management: Users accessed development tools, goal-setting worksheets, and training modules in one place.
• Monthly reporting: Admins tracked engagement and program status in real-time.

To reduce friction, Shenal used automation and validation rules in Airtable to eliminate duplicate data. Feedback loops helped refine the system continuously, and she started by designing for admin use cases before expanding functionality to end users.

The Impact

The new system didn’t just save time—it redefined how Minerva Network supports athletes and mentors.

With a powerful no-code backend and an intuitive front-end portal, the organization is now set to meet (and exceed) its 2025 goals, sitting at 800 engaged athletes early in the year. 

Since launching the no-code CRM and portal, Minerva Network has seen:

• A 70% reduction in administrative workload: Automation of manual processes (e.g. survey collection, program management) drastically reduced admin time.
• A 50% increase in athlete registrations: Streamlined registration pathways improved the onboarding experience and increased program uptake.
• Enhanced engagement tracking: Real-time feedback from mentoring surveys enabled dynamic adjustments to the program.
• Scalable community network: The Softr portal empowered users to connect and collaborate, fostering a vibrant community.

Looking ahead, the organization plans to expand the app’s community features, introduce more personalized mentoring tools, and explore advanced analytics for deeper engagement insights.