How the Tällberg Foundation brought its global network to life

Who's who?

The Tällberg Foundation is an international nonprofit that brings together global leaders through prizes, mentorship programs, podcasts and convenings.

Challenge

Its network lived in rigid legacy systems that were hard to search and needed external vendors for every change. For a small team, the CRM had become a constraint instead of a support.

We designed a CRM around the team's real workflows and relationships, built it step by step with the team validating along the way, and transferred the knowledge so they could run it themselves from day one.

Result

One central system the team owns and evolves without vendors. Finding the right people now takes seconds, and the network is actively used across programs.

Challenge

As the Foundation grew, so did the complexity of managing its global network.

Over time, its systems became a constraint rather than a support:

Legacy tools like Microsoft Access and SugarCRM were rigid and expensive to maintain
Every change required external vendors, increasing costs and slowing down operations
Data was difficult to search, limiting the ability to actively use the network
The system acted as a passive database, not an operational tool

For a small team managing multiple global programs, this created real friction:

Time was lost navigating systems instead of engaging with people

Flexibility was limited in an environment where programs constantly evolve

And most importantly, the Foundation lacked a structured way to grow and activate its network over time

Without change, operational complexity would continue to increase while limiting the Foundation’s ability to scale its impact.

Action Plan

Instead of replacing one tool with another, the focus was on restructuring how the Foundation manages its network.

We worked closely with the team to design a CRM around their actual workflows:

Mapping how contacts, programs, and interactions are connected
Structuring data so it reflects real relationships, not just records
Designing a system the team could understand and manage themselves

The system was built iteratively, with the Foundation involved primarily in validation and testing.

This allowed us to:

Reduce the burden on a small team with limited bandwidth
Ensure the system remained intuitive and aligned with daily operations
Transfer knowledge so the team could operate independently from day one

The result is not just a CRM, but a structured operational system for managing a global leadership network.

Result

The impact is most visible in how the Foundation now operates day to day.

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From passive database to active operational tool

The CRM is no longer just a place to store contacts. It is used daily to explore, understand, and activate the network. Teams can now quickly identify relevant people, track involvement across programs, and maintain stronger relationships.

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Faster access to critical information

Searchability improved significantly. Instead of relying on basic fields, the team can now search across profiles, backgrounds, and involvement. What previously required manual digging now takes seconds.

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Reduced operational friction and stress

With all data in one structured system and no dependency on external vendors, the team experiences less administrative overhead and more control over their tools.

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Full autonomy over the system

The Foundation can now update, adapt, and evolve the CRM internally. This removes recurring costs and allows the system to grow with their programs instead of becoming a constraint.

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Built for future growth

As programs expand and the network grows, the system supports structured tracking of nominations, mentors, mentees, and alumni. This creates the foundation for scaling leadership programs without adding operational chaos.

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"Moving to a new database felt like a risk. Moonland built a system around our specific needs, migrated all our data and kept every connection intact. A reliable, skilled partner from start to finish."