Why a resource directory isn't a network
A resource directory lists organizations and services. A managed CBO network goes further: it tracks which organizations are actually contracted and credentialed, what capacity they have right now, how referrals are routed and confirmed, and how outcomes are reported back to funders. The difference matters operationally — a directory can point a member toward a food pantry that closed six months ago; a managed network knows it closed.
Core functions of CBO network management
Operating a CBO network typically requires four connected functions: network adequacy (do we have enough contracted capacity, by service type and geography, for the population we serve), capacity and wait-list tracking (which organizations can accept a referral today, and where members should be wait-listed when they can't), credentialing and program management (which organizations and specific programs are active, contracted, and eligible to receive referrals), and outcome reporting (what happened after the referral — service delivered, member engaged, need resolved).
Reducing administrative burden for CBOs
Many CBOs operate with limited administrative staff and are asked to interact with multiple, disconnected referral portals from different health plans and network leads. A network platform that gives CBOs one place to accept referrals, update capacity, and report outcomes — instead of a different login for every partner — measurably reduces the administrative burden that keeps organizations from participating fully in a network.
How Relay Helps
Relay gives community-based organizations a single partner portal to receive and manage referrals, update capacity and wait-lists, and report outcomes back to every network partner — while giving network leads real-time visibility into network adequacy and CBO performance across the entire network.