UK: 
“By centralising our data and automating reporting, Salesforce has not only improved data accuracy but has also empowered our teams with better access to the information they need to drive impact. Thanks to our collaboration with Time Technology, we now have a robust, scalable system that supports our mission and ensures we can continue growing in the future.”
– Victoria Turner, Impact Coordinator, Trees for Cities
Meet Trees for Cities
Trees for Cities are the only UK charity working at a national scale to improve lives by planting trees in towns and cities. They work with local communities to cultivate lasting change in their neighbourhoods.
Since inception in 1993, Trees for Cities has planted over 1.9M trees in parks, estates, streets and woodlands across 98 cities and towns in the UK. They’ve also transformed the outside spaces of over 350 schools in order to inspire and enable the many lifelong benefits of nature.
Their Challenge
Before implementing Salesforce, Trees for Cities relied solely on multiple spreadsheets to track engagement and environmental data. While they already captured the key information in their internal systems, this approach was not as efficient as it could be. The absence of a central database meant staff often struggled to find the right data, leading to frequent back-and-forth requests to the Impact team for reporting and grant applications.
Their Goal
Trees for Cities came to Time Technology looking to streamline their processes and enhance their data management capabilities.
Our Solution
Time Technology developed a custom Salesforce solution tailored to Trees for Cities’ unique needs as a charity. Now, they can efficiently track and manage both environmental and social data in one centralised system, revolutionising the way they measure their impact.
Time Technology created a new Salesforce Org for Trees for Cities through an implementation project that encompassed:
- Data Migration
- Nonprofit Success Pack
- Programme Management Module and Outcomes Management
- FormAssembly for Surveys
- Automation for Survey Response and Outcomes Reporting
- Reports and Dashboards
Outcomes and Impact
Salesforce enabled Trees for Cities to record all tree planting events across the UK, along with the number of people engaged in these activities. Each year, they collect thousands of surveys from event volunteers, and thanks to the seamless integration with FormAssembly, this data is now automatically linked to project pages. Engagement staff can instantly assess the impact of their events without the need for manual data entry or reconciliation.
In addition, staff can now access the data they need directly through Salesforce dashboards, project reporting pages, or custom-built reports, instead of sifting through emails or outdated spreadsheets. This has significantly reduced administrative workload, freeing up valuable time for the Impact team.
Annual reporting has also become much more efficient. A quick Salesforce report now provides a comprehensive view of project activities and engagement numbers for the entire year. Whether Trees for Cities needs to break this data down by project, financial year, or survey results, Salesforce eliminates the need for time-consuming manual data collation while adding an extra layer of accuracy and reliability.
The benefits also extend beyond the Impact team. Trees for Cities’ Schools team, for example, runs numerous workshops each year and frequently receives inquiries about their content and reach. With Salesforce, they can log activities directly into the system, making it easy for others to generate reports and access key information on demand. This has cut down on unnecessary admin and improved overall efficiency across departments.
What’s Next?
Trees for Cities keep looking for ways to innovate with Salesforce – whether that’s tracking more impact data, like number of trees planted and locations, or getting more teams using the platform, like fundraising. They will also continue to work with Time Technology for ongoing support for big picture items that help their system evolve.
Looking ahead, Trees for Cities will leverage the platform for process efficiency and data integrity – ensuring the system continues to grow with them as they grow.
