Apparo

It is a well-known fact that most nonprofits operate on a tight budget with most funds going to fulfill their mission. That means not much is left over for staffing or technology upgrades. Apparo steps in to help amplify the impact of nonprofits through technology and process improvement. 

Founded in 2003, Apparo was part of the NPower organization that was funded by Microsoft.  Kim Lanphear, CEO, came on board with Apparo in 2013 and helped the company rebrand. “At least 50 percent of nonprofits aren’t able to make technology improvements because of a lack of funding. We lean into that space. Apparo focuses on supporting nonprofits through best practices in business and technology,” Kim says. “Nonprofits need a partner who can represent their needs and bring the resources to them.” 

Apparo volunteers work in a variety of areas including project management, education and training, and advice and guidance. Kim points out that most of Apparo’s partnerships last for years. “It is a journey. We come in where they need us and many times we end up working with them for a decade. We hear wonderful stories that organizations are able to increase the number of people they serve and improve how they serve people.” 

Lavonne McLean

Kim Lanphear

Over the years, Apparo has worked with more than 1,200 nonprofits thanks to the support of over 600 volunteers contributing more than 5,600 hours. “Every dollar we raise is multiplied into $8.50 of positive impact on lives as we leverage Charlotte’s brightest skilled volunteers and our own expertise to deliver critical nonprofit technology and process improvement,” Kim says. Some Charlotte nonprofits that Apparo has worked with include Crisis Assistance Ministry, Charlotte Rescue Mission, Veterans Bridge Home, and Nourish Up, the largest food pantry in the area.  

Lavonne McLean is currently serving as Apparo’s COO and will step into the CEO role when Kim retires in March. She shares a success story about Carolina Youth Coalition. “We have worked with them for seven years. Their mission is to help high-potential, under-resourced students become first-generation college students. When we started with them, they were serving about 40 students. This year, their goal is to serve 400 students. We worked to improve their effectiveness and streamline how they train their volunteers and mentors. The director told us that without Apparo’s help, they would never have been able to scale up to serving 400 students.” 

“We serve all missions,” Kim says, “so it doesn’t matter what the nonprofit’s passion is, we are going to do all we can to empower them and fuel their capacity to serve. When Apparo steps in, we see how the nonprofit might be struggling because they are under-resourced, but we also see their passion and how they are stitching things together to make it work. To be able to help them do more to meet their mission is really rewarding.” 

Many of Apparo’s volunteers stay on with the nonprofit as a volunteer or board member because they become passionate about the mission. “Being able to do work that matters and that makes a difference in our community is very satisfying. People who work with nonprofits get to see the heart and soul of the organization,” Lavonne says. 

The Apparo team gathered at the 2025 ConnectivIT Ball, an annual event to raise funds to support Apparo’s work to help Charlotte area nonprofits with vital tech services and other resources.

 Companies also benefit when their staff members volunteer with Apparo. “Our volunteers tell us that they enjoy employing the skills they use every day at work in a different way to help a nonprofit,” Kim says. “They return to work better informed and perhaps with some innovative strategies they learned at an under-resourced organization. It’s a win for everyone.” 

Apparo is looking to the future and thinking about how changing technology can affect nonprofits. “We are a technology capacity building-focused company, so we will continue to be at the forefront of changes like AI. As new technology emerges, we want to use it to benefit our nonprofit partners,” Lavonne says. 

Apparo moved its banking relationship to TowneBank from a large bank. “We were just a cog in the wheel. We didn’t feel like a client, we felt like a number,” Kim explains. “I was immediately impressed with the personalized service we received from TowneBank. They recognize us as a partner, and that warm touch has made the relationship special.”