How smarter tech fuels the fight against hunger in New Zealand

KiwiHarvest is on a mission to fight food insecurity in New Zealand. The nonprofit rescues surplus food that would otherwise end up in a landfill and redistributes it to those in need. In the process, it creates a lifeline for vulnerable communities across the country, all while reducing the environmental impact of food waste. Yet, behind the scenes, the KiwiHarvest team was spending too much time dealing with tech roadblocks that limited their ability to do everything from raise funds to schedule deliveries. 

KiwiHarvest CEO Angela Calver describes the systems integration issue the group had between Salesforce and vWork (a tool they used for managing logistics) as “crippling.” She says, “At one point, we went weeks—almost months—unable to report on our data.” That means her team didn’t have access to invaluable information they rely on to apply for grants, generate donor and government reporting, and improve their operations. They were also frustrated with Salesforce itself, which they knew had powerful potential but didn’t know how to use effectively. 

That’s when Doris Lee, a senior Salesforce consultant who happened to be volunteering with the Slalom New Zealand team at the KiwiHarvest warehouse, saw an opportunity to help. What began as a personal commitment to the cause evolved into a partnership that would empower KiwiHarvest to consolidate and organize their data, streamline their operations, and feed even more hungry New Zealanders.

“KiwiHarvest does so much good, rescuing food and helping people. Seeing them spend time wrestling with a tool that was supposed to help them was frustrating. I knew we could simplify things so they could focus on their mission,“ Doris explains.

With the full support of her team at Slalom, Doris began meeting weekly with KiwiHarvest to figure out how she could help and where she could train the team there to help themselves. The goal was to enable them to unlock the power of their existing Salesforce system. 

To that end, Doris and the KiwiHarvest team streamlined data management, removed unnecessary third-party tools, and fixed the vWork integration, making the system easier to use and more effective. This allowed KiwiHarvest to track logistics more efficiently, trust its data, and respond in real time.

By consolidating systems and empowering the team, Slalom helped KiwiHarvest increase its efficiency and impact, allowing the organization to reach more families, rescue more food, and further protect the planet. The team now also has substantive, reliable data at their fingertips to leverage for grant applications, donor solicitations, government reporting, and more.

And because it’s no longer battling expensive tech challenges, KiwiHarvest can invest more in its core mission. The funds saved enabled the hire of a new driver, resulting in 2,100 additional donor pickups per year. This expansion then helped the nonprofit deliver nearly 15,000 more meals to families across the country last year, which means their children are no longer going to school hungry.

“It was incredible to see the difference even small changes could make,” Doris says. “By optimizing their Salesforce system and removing unnecessary tools, we gave the team back time and confidence and even freed up funds to put another driver on the road.“

Angela adds, “It’s amazing how quickly Slalom understood our challenges. What felt impossible to us, they made simple. Now we have the tools we need to do even more, and we’re only getting started.“

Looking forward, KiwiHarvest is excited about the future. With a more efficient and user-friendly Salesforce system, the nonprofit has greater confidence in its ability to scale operations and deepen its impact. “Slalom didn’t just fix our systems—they empowered us,“ Angela concludes. “We went from being intimidated by Salesforce to feeling confident in using it to its full potential.“

Angela and the entire team at KiwiHarvest are devoting their working lives to nourishing New Zealanders who need it most—and to protecting the planet from the effects of food waste at the same time. For her part, Doris is one compassionate person who works for (and is empowered by) a company that cares. She saw a need that could be met with her tech skills and jumped in to fill it. 

The result? A partnership between KiwiHarvest and Slalom that’s a testament to the power of technology to support and amplify the work of organizations dedicated to making a difference.