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Unify Operating Model

Unify is a managed platform for end-to-end benefit program delivery. Government agencies, nonprofits, and community foundations use it to design programs, collect applications, detect fraud, communicate with applicants, and track outcomes — without stitching together a dozen disconnected tools. We have processed nearly 500,000 applications across 16 states and distributed tens of millions in relief funding, proving that speed and dignity can coexist at scale.

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One Platform, Two Layers

Unify does not build everything natively. It owns the layers where it has unique value — applicant experience, program intelligence, and fraud analysis — and orchestrates proven operational tools for everything else. Unify owns the Experience and Intelligence layers natively. It orchestrates the Operations and Execution layers through managed integrations.

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What Unify Owns

These are Unify’s native products. They share a common data model, a unified applicant identity, and a single infrastructure layer.

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What Unify Orchestrates

These systems handle critical operational functions. Unify integrates, configures, and manages them as part of the platform. Clients get one contract, not six vendor relationships. These are deliberate boundaries — not product gaps. Specialized tools outperform custom builds in these areas, and our clients benefit from that.

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Ownership Matrix

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The Build vs Integrate Rule

Unify builds natively when:

• The capability touches applicant experience or data directly
• Unify’s cross-program data creates a meaningful advantage (fraud detection is better because we see patterns across 500K+ applications, not just one program’s submissions)
• No existing tool does it well in the benefit administration context

Unify integrates when:

• The capability is a solved problem in the broader software market
• Building natively would require maintaining regulated infrastructure (payment rails, support ticketing)
• The integration delivers full value without meaningful quality loss

This rule is how we stay focused. Every time we’re tempted to build something, we ask: does this make applicants better served, or does an existing tool already do it well?

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Airtable as Operational System of Record

Airtable is the current operational system of record for case review, payment tracking, support management, and internal reporting. This is a deliberate architectural choice, not a temporary workaround. Unify’s role in the Airtable relationship:

• Deliver enriched, fraud-scored submissions into Airtable through a controlled sync layer — not raw form output
• Sync status changes from Airtable back to applicants via Pathfinder and Messaging Studio in real time
• Keep Supabase as the system of record for intake data and applicant identity; Airtable receives curated operational records

If Unify eventually builds native case review, it will be because the product quality exceeds Airtable’s workflow capabilities for this context — not to fill a perceived gap.

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The Finder Engine

Pathfinder is the horizontal deployment — connecting people to any program type across any geography. The Finder engine is the same architecture configured for specific domains and communities. Examples of vertical deployments:

• Childcare Finder — families search licensed providers by location, age group, and subsidy acceptance
• Housing Finder — renters find landlords enrolled in rental assistance programs, with real-time availability
• Transportation Finder — residents locate accessible transit options and mobility subsidies

The data infrastructure, eligibility logic, and multilingual support are Unify’s. The program set, geographic scope, and branding belong to the deployment. This is one engine with domain configurations — not separate products.

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Three Feedback Loops

The platform compounds value through three loops that reinforce each other over time: Applicant loop — Applicants find programs through Pathfinder or Finder, submit via Terra, receive status updates in real time, and return for future programs. Each positive outcome generates referrals and repeat usage. Operator loop — Program administrators design in Forge, collect in Terra, review in Airtable, and report through Hub. Each program run improves their templates, tightens eligibility logic, and reduces manual work the next time. Platform loop — Aggregate patterns across 500,000+ applications inform fraud models in Sentinel, program templates in Forge, and outreach timing in Messaging Studio. Every program that runs on Unify makes the platform more intelligent for the next one.

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What This Means for New Readers

A new reader should be able to answer these questions from this document:

• What is Unify? A managed platform for end-to-end benefit program delivery.
• What does Unify build? Experience and intelligence — intake, discovery, fraud analysis, program generation, applicant communications.
• What does Unify orchestrate? Operations and execution — Airtable for review, Stripe/Tremendous for payments, Intercom for support.
• What is Airtable’s role? Operational system of record for case management. Permanent partner, not a gap to fill.
• How does Finder work? One Pathfinder engine, deployed with domain-specific configuration.

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