Crosswalk Community Action Agency (CCAA) serves thousands of individuals and families across a four-county service area in Illinois through programs including LIHEAP and CSBG, plus rental aid and emergency household support. For many applicants, timing matters. Delays in processing can directly impact access to utilities and other basic needs.
Before 2020, Crosswalk operated through a fully in-person intake model. Applicants brought documents into local offices, where staff reviewed paperwork, identified missing items, and guided them through the process on the spot. It was structured, familiar, and dependent on face-to-face interaction.
When COVID-19 required the organization to shift away from in-person services, the team had to quickly find a new way to continue processing applications while maintaining the same level of service.
Pipefile was introduced during that transition. What began as a way to adapt to remote operations is now a central part of how Crosswalk manages document collection and application processing.
The Challenge
Before Pipefile, document collection relied on a mix of in-person drop-offs, fax, and occasional email.
Applicants sometimes arrived without the correct documents or with incomplete records. When that happened, staff had to follow up after the appointment, often by phone, to request what was missing.
The process worked, but it created delays. Applications could not move forward until all required documentation was received, and tracking those missing pieces required additional time from staff.
In urgent situations, those delays could extend the time it took to process assistance requests, leaving applicants without heating, electricity, and other essential services.
Why Pipefile
Pipefile was implemented as part of Crosswalk’s shift to remote intake.
Applications began to be completed over the phone, and document requests were sent digitally immediately after each appointment. Staff built out templates, tested the experience internally, and refined how they communicated instructions to applicants.
The system was adjusted over time, but adoption was quick. Pipefile allowed the team to continue operating without interruption while replacing a process that had previously depended on physical interaction.
How It Works Today
Pipefile now supports the full document collection workflow.
After each intake call, applicants receive a secure request outlining exactly what is needed to complete their application. Most requests include proof of income, required forms, and any additional documentation specific to the case.
Templates are used to structure these requests, allowing staff to quickly tailor them while keeping instructions clear.
The team also uses Pipefile’s tagging system to organize incoming requests. Applications can be labeled by county, flagged as new, or prioritized for specific cases such as reconnection assistance. This helps route documents to the appropriate staff and ensures urgent applications are handled accordingly.
Pipefile has also replaced a third-party e-signature tool the team previously relied on to collect a required signature from applicants. That process is now handled entirely within Pipefile.
As documents are submitted, staff review them and follow up when something needs to be corrected or clarified. Communication still happens during intake calls, but Pipefile provides a faster way to handle document-related follow-up without relying solely on phone calls.
The Impact
The most noticeable change has been in how quickly applications move once they are submitted.
Before Pipefile, applications could sit waiting for documents to come in, and verification could fall behind by several weeks.
With documents arriving more quickly and in a more structured way, applications are now processed much closer to real time.
In urgent cases, the difference is even more pronounced.
"In some cases, we can even take the application in the morning and have the pledge made that same evening."
Document collection now happens earlier in the process, allowing applications to move forward as soon as they are reviewed.
"Before I was even done sending links out, people were sending all their docs back."
As a result, applications are no longer held up waiting for paperwork. Staff can review and process them as they come in, rather than setting them aside for later follow-up.
At the same time, fewer applications are denied due to missing documentation, as requirements are clearer and easier for applicants to complete.
There was also a broader shift in efficiency across the team.
"There was no way we would be near as efficient as we are now."
A Core Part of the Workflow
Over time, Pipefile has become part of Crosswalk’s standard operating process.
The team directs applicants to submit documents through Pipefile rather than relying on fax, email, or physical mail, which are slower and less consistent.
Becky has also shared Pipefile's document collection workflow at conferences and workshops with community action agencies across Illinois—and the response, she says, has been consistently positive.
What was initially introduced as a solution during a period of disruption is now a system the team depends on to keep applications moving.
Closing
Pipefile did not change what Crosswalk requires from applicants. Documentation requirements remain the same. What has changed is how that documentation is collected and how quickly applications can move forward once it is received.
Processes that once required follow-up and manual tracking are now more structured. Applications that once waited in a queue can now be reviewed and processed sooner. For the team, that means less time spent tracking documents and more time focused on moving cases forward.
For Becky, the impact comes down to one thing.
"Time efficiency. Time efficiency."