Christians Against Poverty (CAP) helps bring holistic debt support with Salesforce.

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) stands as a vital lifeline for individuals across the U.K. grappling with the crushing burden of debt.

CAP partners with over a thousand local churches in approximately 890 locations to deliver professional debt advice and holistic support directly within communities, particularly in areas of deprivation. 

Helping over 10,000 people on their journey out of debt each year, CAP has its sights on expanding the mission and impact, to ensure every client receives the best possible care.

To support this goal, CAP embarked on a transformative journey to consolidate operations onto a single platform.

Fragmented Systems Hinder Holistic Support

For two decades, CAP relied on a bespoke, open-source system that, while serving its purpose, became increasingly difficult to manage and scale. Front-line workers ‌ — ‌ including dedicated debt coaches and local church partners ‌ — ‌ found themselves navigating many disconnected systems to manage client data, track progress, and generate debt advice. This fragmented approach stifled efficiency and limited flexibility, creating barriers to optimized service delivery.

“The move to a single platform solution was crucial to reduce the number of systems users needed to access, from five to one, improving efficiency and flexibility.” Edward Parker, Head of Debt Help Product Innovation

Beyond operational hurdles, CAP recognized the need to track long-term client outcomes to meet evolving regulatory requirements. The goal was to understand the “transformative changes” in clients’ lives, moving beyond mere process adherence. 

Furthermore, managing client intake and providing comprehensive, unified reporting to its 30,000 supporters presented significant challenges.

Since the debt help platform went live in 2024, even in its pilot phase, CAP has already demonstrated significant impact, serving over 1,000 clients and advising 300+ individuals. 

• CAP can advise an additional 9% of clients today, helping even more people find their way out of debt

• Staff are saving 356 hours per year, allowing them to focus on higher-value work.

• The transition to a single platform has dramatically improved the user experience, with collaboration between staff and local CAP workers easier and more effective as a result of integrated systems.

By consolidating multiple legacy systems into one unified platform, CAP has gained significantly better control over its technology roadmap. This allows the organization to focus its resources on delivering high-quality, efficient service and fostering improved flexibility. The adoption of custom Lightning Web Component (LWC) within Experience Cloud enables debt coaches to efficiently capture client data, powering a structured and rapid advice generation process.

CAP is actively exploring the power of AI to further enhance its service delivery. Edward Parker expressed enthusiasm for AI’s potential, particularly in matching clients to volunteers for their “befriender” program, intelligent document processing and streamlining case progression by performing actions for agents.

“The intake management is critical for CAP’s future as we expand our Nonprofit Cloud platform to incorporate broader service delivery, church, and supporter engagement journeys,” noted Edward Parker.

With plans to migrate all remaining systems onto Nonprofit Cloud over the next 18 months and to implement Marketing Cloud and Data 360, it’s all go for this organization. Beyond that, the vision is to use tools like Tableau and Slack for automated, impactful reporting to its 30,000 supporters, CAP is building a robust, agile foundation for sustained growth.

By continually innovating and getting the best from Salesforce, Christians Against Poverty is dedicated to empowering more individuals to break free from the cycle of debt and experience lasting financial freedom, driven by a deep commitment to holistic support and community partnership.