CBO perspectives on community resource referral platforms: Findings from year 1 of highlighting and assessing referral platform participation (HARP)

In 2020, Trenton Health Team received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to test ways to improve use of the NowPow community resource referral platform among Trenton community-based organizations.

The following are key findings from the project’s first year:
• Trenton CBOs value the up-to-date searchable community directory, but the value of
electronic referrals is less obvious, especially for organizations that don’t provide case
management.
• Pre-existing referral systems and processes, pre-existing familiarity with community resources,
and stretched human resources all contribute to CBOs not adopting the community referral
technology.
• Financial incentives to use community referral technology do not seem to motivate CBOs.
• Promising engagement strategies include: a centralized referral hub, monthly data insights,
tailored training, a marketing campaign, and grants for services that require platform use.