Convene
Helping communities build stronger Coordinated Entry systems.
Convene is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the people and systems that work to end homelessness.We partner with Continuums of Care, counties, and service providers to make Coordinated Entry more effective, more equitable, and easier to navigate for the people who depend on it.
About Convene
Across the country, communities are working hard to ensure that every person experiencing or at risk of homelessness can be matched quickly and fairly with the right housing intervention. That work depends on systems, training, and tools that can keep up with the realities on the ground.Convene exists to support that work through hands-on technical assistance, training, and software to make Coordinated Entry Systems more efficient and effective.
Technical Assistance & Training
Convene provides direct technical assistance and training for housing providers, assessors, service providers, and the community at large to help them follow coordinated entry best practices, and connect unhoused folks to housing and services more effectively.
Ease HMIS
Ease HMIS is our platform that makes Coordinated Entry assessments easy.People experiencing homelessness can complete the assessment on their own through our intutive, supportive platform.They can also easily update their information as it changes over time.This increases the likelihood they will receive a housing referral, and make it easier for housing providers to connect with them at the time of referral.
Ease HMIS
Ease HMIS is a Coordinated Entry assessment platform operated by Convene on behalf of partner agencies and Continuums of Care.It supports the full arc of a Coordinated Entry intake — from initial screening through full
assessment — with workflow tools designed to get thorough information in an intuitive, easy way.The system is built to meet people where they are. A person experiencing homelessness can complete the assessment on their own, or someone can help them if necessary.If they get interrupted or need more time to complete the assessment, they can save their progress and resume later from a link sent to their phone or email, or with a PIN they receive on screen.No information is lost, no one has to start over, and the client's identity is verified before any saved information can be accessed again.Ease HMIS is available to communities Convene partners with under contract.We do not sell the system as off-the-shelf software; we operate it as a service, tailored to each partner's Coordinated Entry policy, workflow, and data standards.
How Save & Resume Notifications Work
When a client chooses to save an in-progress assessment, Ease HMIS may send them a one-time link by text message (SMS) or email so they can return to the assessment from any device.The notification is sent only to the phone number or email address the client provides during the assessment, and only if the client chooses the Save & Finish Later option. Clients who prefer not to share contact information can save their progress with a PIN displayed on screen instead.The text or email contains a single link, the name of the partner agency, and a note that the link works for 21 days.The message does not contain any information about the client's assessment, household, health, or housing status.Tapping the link does not log the client in automatically. The system first asks the client to verify their identity before any saved information becomes accessible.Clients can stop receiving these notifications at any time by replying STOP to a text message, or by contacting the partner agency directly.SMS notifications are sent through Twilio under a Business Associate Agreement. Standard message and data rates may apply.
Privacy Policy
Effective 6/1/2026Convene is committed to protecting the privacy of the people who interact with our website, our programs, and the services we operate on behalf of our partner agencies.This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and what choices you have.Who/What this applies to:This policy applies to information collected through our website at convenenow.org and through services Convene operates, including Ease HMIS.When Convene operates a service on behalf of a partner agency (such as a Continuum of Care or a county Human Services department), that partner agency may also have its own privacy policies and notices that apply to information collected through the service.
In those cases, both this policy and the partner agency's policies
may apply.Information We Collect:
The information Convene collects depends on how you interact with us.When you visit convenenow.org, we collect basic technical information such as your IP address, browser type, pages viewed, and the time of your visit. We do not use third-party advertising trackers.When you contact us by email or a contact form we collect the information you choose to send, which typically includes your name, email address, organization, and the message itself. We use this to respond to your inquiry.When Convene operates Ease HMIS on behalf of a partner agency, the information collected during an assessment is governed by the partner agency's data practices and any applicable laws and standards, including HUD's HMIS Data Standards. We act as a service provider to the partner agency and process the information solely on their behalf and under their direction.Text Messages and Email Notifications:With your consent, Convene may send transactional text messages (SMS) or email through the Ease HMIS platform.The only purpose of these messages is to help you return to an assessment you started. For
example, a one-time link to resume an in-progress Coordinated Entry
assessment that you saved before completing. After an assessment is complete we send messages once per month to see if anything has changed or information needs to get updated. We send these messages because they impact eligibility, and help service providers get in touch with you more quickly and effectively.You consent to receive these messages when you choose the Save & Finish Later option during your assessment and provide a phone number or email address. You may decline to provide contact information, in which case the system will give you a PIN to save your progress instead.The messages we send contain only a link and the name of the partner agency. They do not contain any information about you, your household, your health, or your housing status. Tapping the link does not give the sender any information about you. You must verify your identity before any saved information can be accessed.You can opt out of further text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message we send.Standard message and data rates may apply.Convene does not sell, share, or use your phone number or email address for marketing.SMS messages are sent through Twilio under a Business Associate Agreement.Email is sent through Amazon Web Services Simple Email Service (AWS SES) under a Business Associate Agreement.How we use information:We use the information described above to:- Operate, maintain, and improve the services we provide.
- Respond to inquiries and provide support.
- Send the transactional notifications you've consented to receive.
- Comply with legal obligations and applicable funding-source requirements.
- Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats.We do not sell information about you. We do not use information collected in the services we operate for our own marketing purposes.Information SharingConvene shares information only as follows:- With our partner agencies. When we operate a service on behalf of a partner agency, that agency is the controller of the information collected through the service. We share information with them as partof operating the service.- With service providers we use. We use a small number of trusted technology vendors (for hosting, email delivery, SMS delivery, etc.) to operate our services. We require these vendors to handle information securely, only for the purposes we direct, and under Business Associate Agreements where applicable.- When required by law. We may disclose information when required by law, legal process, or to protect the safety of any person.We do not share information for advertising or marketing purposes.How long we keep information:
Website analytics are retained for a limited period (typically less than one year). Inquiry emails are retained for as long as needed to respond and follow up. Information collected through services we operate is retained according to the partner agency's policies and applicable funding-source requirements, which we follow strictly.Your Choices:- You can opt out of SMS notifications by replying STOP to any message.
- You can contact us at any time to ask what information we have about
you, or to request that we delete information we control.
- If your question is about information collected through a service we operate on behalf of a partner agency, we will help direct you to the partner agency, which is the appropriate place to make those requests.Security:
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we hold. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security; but we work to use appropriate encryption, access controls, vendor agreements, and operational practices to reduce risk.Changes to this policy:
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of the page. For significant changes, we will give reasonable notice.
Terms of Service
Effective 6/1/2026About Convene:
Convene is a nonprofit organization that provides technical assistance, training, and software services to Continuums of Care, county agencies, and service providers working to end homelessness. We provide technical assistance and training, and operate Ease HMIS, on behalf of partner agencies with whom we are contracted.Use of our services:
You agree to use our website and services only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with these Terms.You agree not to:
- Use our services to harm, harass, or deceive others.
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' information.
- Reverse engineer, scrape, or otherwise interfere with our services.
- Use our services in violation of applicable law.Text Message Communications:
If you provide a phone number to a service Convene operates (for
example, when saving an in-progress Coordinated Entry assessment in Ease HMIS), you consent to receive text messages from us at that number for the purpose of that service. The only messages we will send are transactional, which include a link to access and update your assessment information, and a monthly check-in reminder to update your assessment.Standard message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile plan.You can stop receiving messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. We honor opt-out
requests promptly.We will not use your phone number for marketing, will not sell or share
it for advertising, and will only send messages of the type described
above.Email Communications:
If you provide an email address to a service Convene operates, you
consent to receive transactional emails relevant to that service. For
example, a link to resume a saved assessment and to update an assessment. We will not use your
email address for marketing. You can request that we stop emailing you at any time by contacting us at [email protected].Services we operate on behalf of partner agencies:
Some services we operate, including Ease HMIS, are operated on behalf of partner agencies such as Continuums of Care Coordinated Entry Systems, or county Human Services departments. When you use one of those services, the partner agency is the responsible party for the data collected through the service. The partner agency's own policies, notices, and applicable law govern how that information is handled, and we follow the partner agency's direction in operating the service.Intellectual property:
The website, services, and content (other than information you provide
or information we collect on behalf of partner agencies) are the
property of Convene or its licensors. You may not copy, modify, or
distribute the content of this site without our permission.Disclaimers
The website and our services are provided "as is" and "as available."
We do not guarantee that they will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all
implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Convene and its directors,
employees, and contractors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of your use of our website or services. Our total liability for any claim arising out of these Terms will not exceed one hundred dollars ($100) USD.Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold Convene harmless from any claims arising out of your misuse of the website or services, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another party.Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising out of these Terms will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Hennepin County, MN.Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of the page. Continued use of the website or our services after a change indicates your acceptance of the updated Terms.Contact Us
Questions about these terms can be sent to [email protected]
Contact
Josh Dye
Executive Director
[email protected]