Heroes on the Water manages 3,000 volunteers annually with real-time visibility

For the late Jim Dolan, an Air Force veteran and longtime Houston Police officer, kayak fishing was the only way he could truly decompress. He began to wonder whether that same quiet reset might help other veterans living with traumatic brain injuries, and invited nine of them to join him for a weekend on the coast. They arrived reserved and unsure. Over the course of the weekend, conversation picked up, laughter returned, and the group began to move with the ease of a unit again. More than just a break, it was clear that time on the water could offer relief.

Dolan’s hobby grew into a life-saving national movement. Since its inception in 2007, Heroes on the Water has served more than 70,000 veterans and first responders, helping them and their families reconnect and heal through kayak fishing and outdoor recreation. 

“With chapters in 27 U.S. states, the program has been shown to help reduce stress, improve mental health, and strengthen overall well-being,” notes Camille Null, Director of Volunteer Programs at Heroes on the Water.

Scattered data, tracked manually

With 10 employees at its core, Heroes on the Water relies on more than 3,000 volunteers every year who organize and host kayak fishing experiences through local chapters across the country. Coordinating that network requires visibility into chapter activity, volunteer engagement, event reporting, and compliance.

Previously, much of that information was tracked manually. “Data was spread across folders and links,” explains Null. Generating reports for the board, identifying inactive chapters, or following up with volunteers often required days of tracking down emails, reconciling spreadsheets, and confirming whether data was up to date.

One of the board members at Heroes on the Water was already using Smartsheet, primarily for collecting data through forms, and suggested it as a solution for the organization. “As I dug deeper—especially into Control Center—I realized Smartsheet was exactly what we needed,” Null recalls. Because each chapter followed the same basic structure, Control Center would allow the team to build that framework once and replicate it consistently across every chapter.

Managing chapters at scale and with real-time visibility

Heroes on the Water began tracking volunteer and chapter data in Smartsheet. As the organization scaled, the team turned to Smartsheet’s Hack for Good initiative, a pro bono program that donates solutions to nonprofits, to strengthen and refine their system. Working alongside Smartsheet specialists, the team corrected formulas, cleaned up how information flowed between sheets, and made sure new chapters were properly connected to their dashboards.

Together with Hack for Good volunteers, Heroes on the Water also built a Smartsheet dashboard to report key performance indicators (KPIs), giving leadership a clear, enterprise-grade, trusted view of yearly, monthly, and even hourly activity at a glance. Previously, the team compiled these reports manually in spreadsheets, pulling metrics each month from various sources, and circulated them by email—often triggering a round of back-and-forth about whether the data was up to date or something looked off. 

“Now, employees have immediate, real-time access to organization-wide trends,” Null says. “The dashboard saves me a day and a half of work each month.”

Management’s response has been overwhelmingly positive. “If we implement a change tied to a strategic goal, I can immediately show how it impacts our numbers. Leadership really values that visual representation of impact,” Null explains. “The board member who first suggested Smartsheet was especially proud to see how far we’ve taken the platform.”

Enterprise-grade chapter monitoring

Another key dashboard monitors chapter health. Previously, the team manually scored chapters to determine which needed support—or, in some cases, suspension. “Now, we can see key health indicators in one place, identify gaps like missing reports or declining activity, and proactively reach out to offer support,” Null says. “It saves us from digging and guessing. We can focus our energy where it’s needed most.” The dashboard is also valuable during volunteer onboarding, allowing the team to quickly spot missed steps and ensure new chapter leaders are set up for success.

The chapter health dashboard also saves the team significant time. 

“Previously, an employee would spend four or five days pulling together the chapter report—tracking down information, calling and emailing volunteers,” Null says. “Now, they can instantly see who needs follow-up, which cuts that work down dramatically.”

Volunteers save time as well. Previously, they submitted information over email, often responding to back-and-forth requests or searching for the right details to send. “With forms, it’s easier and faster to input information in a structured way,” Null notes.

Empowered team, stronger impact

The time saved has been redirected toward growth and hands-on support. Null now spends more time networking, following up on new chapter inquiries and partnerships, and overseeing purchasing for chapters. That reclaimed time also allows the team to proactively check in with struggling chapters, visit volunteers in person, and strengthen relationships—creating momentum for expansion into new regions.

Heroes on the Water continues to strengthen its systems. The team is integrating the fundraising platform Virtuous with Smartsheet to better connect donor and chapter data, and integrating DocuSign into its liability waiver process to simplify compliance.

For Null, though, technology is primarily a tool in service of the mission. 

“If you ever have the chance, attend one of our events,” she says. “It’s powerful to watch someone go from standing on the sidelines to laughing and connecting by lunchtime. They let go of whatever they were carrying. That transformation is incredibly rewarding.”