Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation Gains Time and Focus with TriNet's HR Services
Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation has one primary mission: make grants to other not-for profit organizations conducting programs designed to improve the health of Illinois children.
Foundation President Susan Kerr remembers what it was like when the foundation first began: "It was incredibly daunting starting a not-for-profit business. I had no employees and I wasn't even sure how to pay myself. I had to find office space and staffing-and I had to pay out $5 ½ million dollars in grants by the end of the year!"
Kerr continues, "Just hiring a payroll service wasn't enough. To ensure that the foundation met its funding and staffing goals, I knew that I needed a full complement of HR professionals, expertise, and services."
The Right HR Partner
Kerr selected TriNet because of the company's flexibility and customization. "With TriNet, I'm able to add staff quickly when necessary, accommodating my growth needs on my own schedule. I don't have to worry about a patchwork of vendors; TriNet takes care of everything. And it prevents me from having to hire in-house staff to take care of routine HR tasks."
TriNet's secure portal, HR Passport, also alleviates the foundation's administrative burden by turning most HR functions into a paperless process. "HR Passport is a godsend," Kerr explained. "If I had to fill out 15 pieces of paper every time something changed, it would defeat the purpose of outsourcing my HR. When employees can access their own information anytime night or day, changes are turnkey."
TriNet's strong benefits package also makes a difference. "I come from a large corporation originally, and I'm used to a very strong benefits package," Kerr said. "What we can access through TriNet is much more substantial than anything we could get on the open market. We gain a wide array of voluntary benefits in addition to the core medical, vision, and dental plans."
Relief for Not-For-Profit Executives
Kerr strongly recommends TriNet's HR services to other executives in her situation.
"It boils down to this: not-for-profits are continuously and continually evaluated by their ability to measure costs. We're used to being scrutinized closely, and we're mindful that we share our financial information frequently. I want to make sure that the picture we're presenting is one where people not only appreciate our work, but the way we're executing that work.
"To that end, I endorse TriNet and recommend them to other foundations and not-for-profits, because TriNet reflects well on its customers. Having TriNet as one of our advisors makes us operate efficiently, reduces our administrative load, and gives us access to HR guidance that makes sense for our bottom line."