Nonprofits should be putting data to good use

Posted: 6:45 pm Thu, July 22, 2010
By Betsy Nelson

Nonprofits and community leaders don’t need a Ph.D. in statistics to effectively use data anymore. With advances in Web-based tools and other technology, data is quicker, cheaper, more reliable, and more effective to use than ever.

Friday, the University of Baltimore, in partnership with the Baltimore City Planning Department and the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, is hosting the city’s first Data Day — a free conference on “all things data” for community organizations and civic or faith-based institutions. Conference panelists, including nonprofit representatives as well as city and university staff, will discuss where to find publicly available data, mapping systems and other free or low-cost technologies for the resource-limited nonprofit.

This will be a great opportunity for groups to hear from local experts about how to collect and analyze data — and to learn how other nonprofits in Baltimore are putting this information to good use. Specific topics of discussion will include education, public health, neighborhood stabilization/housing, economic development and quality of life/crime. There are also sessions on Census data, university-based research and grant-writing.

It’s great that nonprofits and community groups are showing interest in data. Registration was at capacity almost two weeks out from Data Day, which indicates that many local organizations are eager to improve the effectiveness of their programs and better quantify their impact on the neighborhood.

Why is data important? Why would a community leader or nonprofit manager set aside an entire day to learn about collecting and using data? Here are a few reasons:

Data better informs community work. Collecting even relatively simple statistics before and after program implementation can shed light on its impact. Data can also help determine where the need is greatest, so we can concentrate limited resources in the most meaningful way possible.

Data provides support for proposals and grant applications. Both grantees and funders need to know where and how their program is having an impact. Knowing which statistics to use in proposals is crucial to provide evidence that the program has made, or is expected to make, a difference.

Data proves that there is (or isn’t) a need to policymakers or the public. Numbers can tell a story. And, this story is even more powerful when presented visually.

Speaking in front of City Council? Show them a map with your data divided up by council districts. Briefing your board members on last year’s progress? Hand out a chart showing the percent change by quarter.

Hopefully, Baltimore City Data Day 2010 is just the beginning of an ongoing conversation around data collection and information-sharing among the nonprofit community in our region.

For information and to access Baltimore City data, check these websites:

• Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (www.bniajfi.org/)
• Baltimore City Department of Planning (www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Planning.aspx)
• PolicyMap (www.policymap.com/)

To find about new technologies for nonprofits, including data analysis or mapping software, visit the TechSoup website (http://home.techsoup.org/pages/default.aspx).

Betsy Nelson, executive director of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers, writes every other week for The Daily Record.  She can be reached at 410-727-1205 or bnelson@abagmd.org.