Case Study: United Teen Equality Center achieves improved program effectiveness and organizational capacity with Bonterra Apricot

United Teen Equality Center - Customer Case Study

United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), a Lowell, MA nonprofit serving disconnected youth since 1999, faced the challenge of improving program effectiveness and building organizational capacity to better track outcomes, reduce youth cycling in and out of services, and align staff around continuous improvement. Leadership needed reliable performance measurement and a cultural shift so staff could use data to strengthen programs and demonstrate impact.

UTEC completed a Theory of Change and adopted Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) software to benchmark outcomes and gather participant data. That evidence led to a redesigned five-day workforce-development schedule, a new orientation, expanded cross‑departmental services, and the hiring of a job developer; it also reduced churn, increased staff collaboration and pride, and enabled research partnerships (e.g., Tufts) and plans to scale services—resulting in clearer program impact and a stronger foundation for growth and field-wide learning.

United Teen Equality Center

Zenub Kakli

Chief Program Officer