Relay

AI assistant for nonprofits

Make your services easier to reach.

Relay gives your nonprofit an AI assistant people can call, text, or chat with. It answers the way a person would: in plain words, in their language, at any hour. Most questions never have to wait for a staff member, and the ones that do reach your team with the full story.

Relay

Available 24/7

I just got off work. Is there anyone who can help me tonight?

Yes, I’m here. What do you need help with?

Finding somewhere my family can get food tomorrow.

Three places near you are open tomorrow morning. The closest opens at 8 AM.

Harbor Market Pantry

Opens 8 AM · 0.6 miles · no ID needed

Food bank, after the office closes. Names and numbers are illustrative.

Why Relay

The resources exist.The communication lines don’t.

  • Language barriers.
  • Time barriers.
  • Staff capacity.
  • Information overload.

Asking for help is hard enough.

Incoming callsBusy

12 waiting

Average wait 18 min

10:47 PM · Office closed

Are you still open?

“¿Puedo preguntar esto en español?”

Asked in Spanish

Staff inbox43 unread

Your website

  • PDFEligibility rules, rev. 7
  • XLSProgram hours

“Which program do I qualify for?”

Relay

That’s where Relay comes in.

Coverage of the founder’s earlier work.

Amira Abujuma speaking in a CBS News Boston segment about the Capital Area Food Bank help lineWatch the segment on CBS News (opens in a new tab)

“Everyone deserves access to a good, healthy lifestyle.”

Amira Abujuma, speaking to CBS News Boston

When every line is busy, Relay picks up.

Relay answers calls and texts on your organization’s own number, handles the routine questions, and sends everything else to your team with the details attached.

3 in 4

nonprofits with job vacancies had open program and service roles, the jobs that work most directly with the public. National Council of Nonprofits, 2023 (opens in a new tab)

Incoming calls

Demo
Waiting
12
Average wait
18 min
Missed today
27
  • Are you open Saturday?

    Waiting 14:02Answered by Relay
  • Do I need an appointment?

    Waiting 12:47Answered by Relay
  • My landlord gave me an eviction notice.

    Waiting 11:30Sent to staff
  • What documents do I bring?

    Waiting 9:15Answered by Relay
  • Is the rent program still open?

    Waiting 6:58Answered by Relay
  • I need to talk to my case manager.

    Waiting 4:21Sent to staff

Relay is on the line

Help shouldn’t have business hours.

Your office can close. Access to information doesn’t have to. Relay answers at 10:47 PM the same way it does at 10:47 AM, by phone, text, or chat.

A woman in profile at her kitchen table late at night, smiling at her phone

10:47 PM

Office closed

The kids are finally asleep. Is there anywhere I can get groceries this week?

RelayAvailable 24/7

Yes. Two pantries near you are open tomorrow, and the closest one doesn’t need an appointment. Want the hours?

One organization. Answers in the language people ask in.

People ask in the language they’re most comfortable with, and Relay answers in it, from the same information your team already keeps.

28.5 million

people in the U.S. have limited English proficiency. KFF, 2024 Census data (opens in a new tab)

Can I ask this in Spanish?

Relay

¡Claro! Pregúnteme lo que necesite en español.

From your information · Hours: Mon–Sat, 9 AM–7 PM

People ask the same question a hundred different ways. Relay understands all of them.

Relay works out what someone means, not just the words they typed, and answers once from your information.

  • When are you open?

  • What time do you close?

  • Are you open Saturday?

  • Can I come tomorrow?

  • ¿Están abiertos hoy?

Relay understands

Hours

Asked 5 ways2 languages

One answer, from your information

We’re open Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 7 PM. No appointment needed.

Let your team spend time where people need a person.

Relay resolves what it can and points people to the right resource. When someone needs judgment, care, or an exception, the conversation reaches your staff portal or your own inbox, translated, with the full story.

72%

of nonprofits with paid staff said in 2025 that vacancies were hurting their ability to pursue their missions. Urban Institute (opens in a new tab)

Relay

I’m connecting you with someone from Northline. They’ll see what you’ve shared, so you won’t have to start over.

Conversations today

Staff portal · demo

82total

  • Resolved by Relay61
  • Routed to the right resource14

7 need a person

Waiting for staff
10:52 PM · Translated from SpanishNorthline housing team

Housing eligibility question

Family of three · lease ends this month · full conversation attached

Review conversation

Your answers already exist. Relay makes them easier to reach.

Connect your database, let us help you build one, or start from the documents you already have. Relay turns it into answers people can actually find.

  • Websitenorthline.org/programs
  • PDFRental assistance guide
  • SpreadsheetShelter beds, updated daily
  • DirectoryPartner services
  • HoursMon–Sat, 9 AM–7 PM
  • EligibilityIncome under 50% of AMI

Can I get help paying rent?

Relay

Yes. Northline’s Emergency Rental Assistance can cover up to two months of back rent for households under 50% of area median income. Want help starting an application?

Rental assistance guide · PDFEligibility rules

Analytics

Every question is a signal.

Relay doesn’t just answer questions. It will help your organization see what people are asking for, when, and in which languages, as it happens.

Northline Housing

Demo data
Conversations today
186
Needs identified
203
After office hours
61%
Needs staff attention
7

What people ask about

  • Rental assistance31%
  • Emergency shelter24%
  • Eviction notices18%
  • Waitlist status14%
  • Documents to apply8%

When people ask

61% after hours

Before 9 AM
13%
9 AM–5 PM
39%
After 5 PM
48%

Languages

  • English58%
  • Spanish27%
  • Amharic7%
  • French5%
  • Other3%

Insights

  • RisingRental assistance questions are up 22% compared with the previous 30 days.
  • TimingMost Spanish-language conversations arrive after 6 PM.
  • GapShelter for families with pets comes up in 18% of conversations that didn’t find a match.

See demand, not just delivery.

Most reports count the people you served. Relay analytics will also show what people are still asking for, so your team can decide where limited resources go.

  1. 01214conversations about rental assistance this month
  2. 022 areasaccount for most of those requests
  3. 036 in 10arrive after the office has closed
  4. 04Your teamadds evening hours and targets outreach there

Insight is built from patterns across conversations: topics, timing, language, and unmet needs. Staff open an individual conversation when someone is handed off to them, not to watch people.

Ask us about analytics

How Relay works

Relay doesn’t just make information accessible.

It gives your organization a clearer picture of the people you’re trying to serve, and that picture makes the next answer better.

For people

It’s easier to get help.

For your team

It’s easier to see what people need.

  1. 01

    Your services

    Programs, locations, hours, eligibility

  2. 02

    People ask

    In their words and language, at any hour

  3. 03

    People get answers

    From your information, or from your team

  4. 04

    Conversations become insight

    Needs, timing, languages, gaps

  5. 05

    You respond better

    Outreach, hours, and programs

  6. And back to better services.

Make access easier.Understand what people need.

Your community is already asking. Tell us about your organization and the questions people ask most, and we’ll show you what Relay could look like for the people you serve.

Custom pricing based on your organization’s needs.

We’re more than a chatbot.

We also build custom AI tools for nonprofits, and train your staff to get more out of AI, including tools you may already pay for.