United for impact: How SoftwareOne and AWS transformed Orange County United Way’s 211 contact center

Overcoming resource strain to deliver faster, smarter community support

When United Way acquired the 211OC contact center service in 2023, it quickly became apparent that outdated technology was standing in the way of fulfilling its mission. The legacy system was inefficient and inflexible, forcing agents to toggle between disjointed platforms to locate and schedule resources. This inefficiency created long call wait times of up to 11 minutes, often leaving callers on hold during urgent crises like seeking housing, food assistance, access to healthcare, and more.

Predicting call volumes also proved difficult, leaving the nonprofit unable to staff appropriately during high-demand periods. The pressure on both callers and agents reflected an urgent need for digital transformation.

For Chris Ticknor, United Way’s Chief Transformation Officer, it was clear that the existing system prevented the nonprofit from delivering critical support to the community. “When we acquired 211OC, my primary objective was to get United Way to really be a catalyst for change,’” said Ticknor. The answer lay in leveraging intelligent, modern technology to rebuild services from the ground up.

Reimagining contact center solutions with Amazon Connect and SoftwareOne

Leveraging the power of Amazon Connect, SoftwareOne designed a solution that wasn’t just tailored to fix inefficiencies; it provided a blueprint for the future of social services. Amazon Connect’s scalability, AI capabilities, and role-based permissions offered United Way the flexibility it needed to both address current demands and prepare for future challenges.

Efficient, AI-powered support

At the heart of the solution lies Amazon Connect’s generative AI and machine learning capabilities. These tools allow the system to predict call volumes with accuracy, ensuring the 211OC team is properly staffed even during emergencies such as natural disasters or large-scale economic disruptions. By analyzing data patterns, AI also helps triage high-priority calls, automatically routing them to the right agents for faster assistance.

Generative AI enhances every caller’s experience through proactive data collection. Before reaching an agent, callers are guided through short questions about their situations, enabling agents to hit the ground running with contextual information at hand. This streamlining ensures callers are connected with the right resources faster than ever before.

Seamless integration for better outcomes

SoftwareOne integrated Amazon Connect with Salesforce, centralizing data from over 1,100 community-based organizations (CBOs) and 3,000 programs across healthcare, housing, and crisis intervention. Agents now have access to a single panel of information, including client call histories and up-to-date details on resource availability.

For a caller seeking shelter, the new solution eliminates the frustration of being sent via multiple public transit routes to facilities where they might be met with full capacity or unexpected curfews, repeated calls for updates, and other restrictions. For the agent, it eliminates time-consuming manual searches, freeing them to focus on addressing caller needs. This integration ultimately transforms what was once a fragmented process into one that provides rapid, reliable answers.

Future-proof flexibility

Amazon Connect’s scalability and role-based permissions equip United Way to adapt to their community’s future needs. Staff can confidently manage data across agencies while securely controlling access. These features also lay the groundwork for advanced capabilities, such as self-service chatbot functions, which are projected to handle 30–40% of 211 inquiries.

Rapid efficiency gains, up to 85% cut in wait times

The adoption of Amazon Connect has revolutionized operations for Orange County United Way’s 211OC contact center, delivering significant improvements across the board. Operational efficiency and staff scheduling have each improved by approximately 10%, according to Chris Ticknor, with further gains expected as the system is refined over time. However, the most remarkable transformation has been the reduction in call wait times. Where callers once had to wait 10–12 minutes to speak with an agent, they can now connect in under 3 minutes.

Enhanced triage capabilities have streamlined how agents assist callers. The system collects contextual information about a client's needs before an agent even joins the call, guiding the conversation from the outset. This enables agents to rapidly match callers with the appropriate services, providing faster and more targeted support. By integrating Amazon Connect with the organization’s Salesforce platform, agents can access comprehensive caller histories in a single intuitive view. This includes past interactions and support received, eliminating the need for agents to search through multiple systems, saving valuable time, and reducing stress.

Agent training and supervision have also seen dramatic improvement. Automated training modules help new hires ramp up quickly, while advanced monitoring tools enable supervisors to step in and assist agents as needed. For instance, AI features in Amazon Connect can detect agitation in a caller's voice or long pauses in a conversation, then alert supervisors to provide real-time support to agents handling difficult calls, fostering a collaborative environment where agents feel supported and equipped to succeed.

The contact center is now capable of forecasting and planning for periods of increased demand. Whether it’s tax season, extreme weather forecasts, or other external events, the organization can proactively manage contact volumes and minimize staffing challenges. For example, this predictive capability helped the center handle a sudden surge in calls sparked by news of potential social services cutbacks. Additionally, the system proved invaluable during the 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles, enabling agents to support displaced individuals quickly and effectively.

Looking ahead, Orange County United Way plans to continue innovating with SoftwareOne. Future updates include introducing a chat function to handle common inquiries, potentially managing up to 40% of calls without human intervention. A larger-scale integration with the area’s community information exchange (CIE) is also in the works. This will enable a unified data system to provide critical insights into preventative support services.

Chris Ticknor describes this integration as the “holy grail” of social services. By using data analytics and machine learning, the system could identify individuals in need of early interventions, significantly reducing reliance on costly emergency support services. For example, while emergency services for a chronically homeless individual may cost $100,000 per year, preventative services to help avoid a homelessness crisis could cost just $1,000–$2,000. This shift not only represents major cost savings, but also empowers individuals in the community to resolve challenges and rebuild their lives faster.

With SoftwareOne and Amazon Connect guiding innovation, Orange County United Way’s 211OC contact center is becoming a model for how modern technology and thoughtful innovation can transform community services to be faster, smarter, and more compassionate.

AWS and SoftwareOne powering change

Orange County United Way’s story is a testament to how SoftwareOne and AWS deliver more than technology solutions; they deliver empowerment. Scalable, AI-driven infrastructure from Amazon Connect, combined with SoftwareOne’s expertise in implementation and integration, maximized the value of this nonprofit’s technology investment.

For United Way, modernizing the 211OC contact center isn’t just about better call handling. It’s about transforming the lives of the people who depend on social services.

From faster connections to resources in moments of crisis to long-term strategies that address root causes, Orange County United Way is now better positioned to strengthen its community. Each call answered is more than a task. It’s a lifeline.