Where The American Society for Clinical Laboratory Studies Started
Founded in 1936, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) is a national network of constituent groups supporting the clinical lab science community. But by 2023, its financial systems hadn’t kept up. Constituent groups operated independently, yet the national office had to coordinate finances across dozens of local entities—mostly through outdated, manual processes.
ASCLS Needed a Platform Built for Chapter Oversight
ASCLS faced hurdles in managing group finances. Officer handovers turned out to be a big problem—when a new treasurer took over, they had to meet the outgoing one in person at a bank, which often delayed transitions for up to a few weeks. Distributing dues back to groups was also done in an old-fashioned manner, which created excess manual work and prolonged delays, with National relying on mailed checks or complicated bank transfers.
Once groups had the funds, it was very difficult to get any oversight—National couldn’t control how money was spent and had to rely on receipts for accountability. On top of that, there was no clear view into which groups were up to date on taxes or 990 filings, making financial oversight nearly impossible.
What stood out about Crowded was that they actually understood our unique organizational structure. They recognized that we weren’t like sororities or Girl Scouts—our chapters are legally separate entities with their own tax requirements.
A Strategic Roll Out for Smarter Finance
That’s where Crowded stepped in, and created a multi-phase strategy to improve the financial management process by implementing smart tools to overcome existing hurdles:
- Phase 1 (October 2023): National partnership with Crowded established
- Phase 2 (Dec 2023 – Jan 2024): First wave of constituent groups onboarded
- Phase 3 (Spring 2024): Platform tested during high-volume spring meeting season
- Phase 4 (Upcoming): Expansion of national-level functionality
How Crowded Helped the ASCLS Enhance Chapter Operations
Simplified Leadership Transitions
One of the earliest wins came during a routine leadership change. With Crowded, new treasurers gained secure access to group finances within 24 hours of board approval—no bank visits, no delays, no awkward handoffs. Role-based access made the transition seamless and fast, streamlining a process that used to take days or even weeks.
Streamlined Financial Distribution
Crowded transformed how the national headquarters distributes funds to constituent groups. Instead of mailing physical checks or coordinating ad hoc transfers, the national office can now distribute money through the platform with just a few clicks. Every transaction is logged, traceable, and compliant—saving time for both senders and recipients.
Enhanced Chapter Oversight
Because each ASCLS constituent group is responsible for filing its own 990, tax time was often a stressful and fragmented process. Crowded’s group dashboard has made it much easier for the national team to track who has filed and who hasn’t—offering visibility without micromanaging.
Smarter Expense Controls
With Crowded’s expense card system, constituent groups can assign funds to specific uses and place restrictions on spending categories. They no longer need to collect and submit receipts for every purchase; instead, they have real-time insights and controls that build trust and simplify audits.
