Every spring, the team at Harmony Dance Collective, a nonprofit dance organization based in Seattle, hosts its much-anticipated annual fundraising gala.
This event brings together students, parents, and supporters to celebrate dance and raise funds for scholarships.
But behind the scenes, preparing the gala was becoming a major challenge.
Between tracking ticket sales, managing volunteers, and sending endless reminders, the administrative workload was overwhelming.
Before Kananas: Too much admin, not enough rhythm
“We love organizing the gala, but it used to take weeks of back-and-forth emails and spreadsheets,”
recalls Emily Rogers, Harmony’s gala coordinator.
“Payments came from all directions — checks, cash, online — and we constantly lost track of who had paid or confirmed.”
Managing registrations, payments, and communication manually became stressful.
Despite the team’s energy and dedication, every edition required dozens of volunteer hours and often ended in last-minute confusion.
The switch to Kananas
In early 2024, Harmony Dance Collective decided to simplify things by adopting Kananas, an all-in-one AI-powered management platform for nonprofits and associations.
Within a few days, their entire process was transformed:
- Centralized member, donor, and volunteer lists
- Online ticket sales and automatic confirmations
- Automated reminders and thank-you emails
- Real-time tracking of payments and attendance
- Shared access for all committee members
“We instantly saved time,” says Emily.
“The AI assistant helped us write messages, track registrations, and keep everyone informed. It felt like having a full-time event assistant.”
The results: more time, more guests, more impact
The difference was clear from the first event organized with Kananas.
| KPI | Before Kananas | After Kananas | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly admin time | 8 hours | 5 hours | −3h/week |
| Online payments rate | 45% | 80% | +35% |
| Attendance | 120 guests | 165 guests | +38% |
| Volunteer participation | 15 | 25 | +66% |
“This year, everything was smooth,” Emily adds.
“No double lists, no missing names, and everyone received reminders automatically. We could finally enjoy the gala instead of running after details.”
Why Kananas made a difference
Harmony Dance Collective found in Kananas a perfect partner for their nonprofit operations.
- Centralized management of members, payments, and events
- Automated communication powered by AI
- Simplified online payments with instant confirmation
- Easy collaboration between board members and volunteers
- Professional presentation with branded forms and messages
“Kananas gave us structure without complexity.
It helped us grow while keeping our sense of community.”
About Harmony Dance Collective
Founded in 2010, Harmony Dance Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Seattle, Washington.
Its mission is to make dance accessible to everyone through classes, performances, and community outreach programs.
The annual fundraising gala supports scholarships for over 150 students each year.
About Kananas
Kananas is the all-in-one management software for associations, clubs, and nonprofits.
It helps organizations automate their administrative work, manage members and events, collect payments online, and communicate effortlessly — all powered by AI.
Optimize your time, boost your association with Kananas
Register for free on Kananas and enjoy a 30-day trial without a credit card.
