Case study: A true partner for a mission-driven nonprofit

Friends Life Community (FLC) exists to help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities grow personally, develop socially, and experience the fullness of community. Based in Nashville and directly serving 75 Friends and more than 150 caregivers, the organization pours its energy into deeply relational and individualized work, life skills, the arts, one-on-one coaching, and connection. For a mission like that, every hour spent untangling payroll errors or chasing down an unresponsive vendor is an hour taken from the people it serves.

After cycling through several payroll, benefits, and HR providers, including one that cost more but delivered less, FLC was still managing too much of the work itself and getting too little support in return. That changed when a board member suggested Adams Keegan. From the very beginning, the difference in commitment was clear and the partnership has since become a genuine extension of the team.

The Challenge

As a small nonprofit, Friends Life Community struggled to find a reliable partner for payroll, benefits, and HR – one that felt personal in its service but remained affordable for an organization of its size. Previous providers fell short in ways that created real strain:

• Payroll was a persistent pain point and a source of liability. The team was still managing too much of the provider's work and catching frequent mistakes, all with very little customer service.

• HR support felt manufactured and impersonal. Guidance was framed narrowly around the "legal" course rather than helping the organization navigate real people, person to person.

• Leadership was constantly pulled in. The CEO was regularly called on to handle conflicts, push for resolutions, challenge service issues, and repeatedly weigh whether it was worth transitioning to yet another provider.

Even the organization's most recent attempt, spending more in hopes of a better experience, proved disappointing. FLC needed a partner that would act as a true extension of its team and buy into its mission.

The Adams Keegan Solution

Adams Keegan delivered exactly the relational and responsive partnership that FLC had been looking for, by supporting the organization as an extension of its own team:

• A smooth, standout onboarding experience. Getting started with Adams Keegan was the best onboarding the organization had experienced, and the ongoing process for new employees continues to save administrative staff time while giving employees clarity.

• A centralized online portal. Keeping documents in one place has improved accountability and made it possible to communicate a consistent message to all staff.

• Personable, protective HR support. Adams Keegan helps FLC navigate people-related questions and issues in a personable way while still protecting the organization – a balance previous providers never struck.

• Always-available, expert guidance. There is always someone to call for the help they need, without having to justify the request or fight for service. The organization trusts Adams Keegan as the experts informing its decisions.

As Friends Life Community President and CEO Waverly Ann Harris put it, Adams Keegan is "relational and therefore customized for any industry because they are great people who treat their clients as great people and work with them to address their customized needs."

The Results

The partnership has freed FLC leadership to focus on mission rather than administration, while improving the experience for staff and employees alike:

• Leadership is out of the operational weeds. For the CEO, the greatest benefit is no longer being pulled into operational issues; they simply get handled.

• Competitive pricing. The organization realized cost savings through the partnership.

• Capacity to scale. Adams Keegan supports the organization's growth capacity, allowing employees to focus on the relational heart of their work without adding administrative burden.

• More manageable operations. Efficiency has improved, making day-to-day demands, including turnover, far easier to support.

• A better experience for everyone. Both employees receiving services through the portal and the management staff tracking and reporting on administrative duties report an improved experience.

Most tellingly, the organization no longer spends time dwelling on problems. Waverly Ann noted that she “hasn't had to think about the old frustrations in a long time.”

Key Takeaway

For nonprofits and other lean, mission-driven organizations, the right administrative partner is about far more than payroll and paperwork, it's about trust. The broader lesson from Friends Life Community's experience is the value of a genuine partnership: working with people you trust, who deliver what they promise, and who function as a true extension of your team. When an organization can rely on that kind of partner, its leaders are free to focus on what they do best.

For FLC, that means pouring their energy back into the Friends they serve, creating opportunities, changing perceptions, and building community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.