As a nonprofit, it can be a challenge to prove that you have made a real, measurable impact. Sponsors, donors, and project collaborators will want to know that you are accomplishing your goals, especially when they are backing them.
Data analysis is important for non-profits because growth can’t always be seen immediately. When improvements and change take time, how can you present the current data to people so that they understand your work?
What Is a “Data Culture”?
One main problem is that nonprofits often don’t know what data to track, how to track it, or how to make sense of what they are tracking.
So, before your team can even talk about “managing data,” you need to create a “data culture” within your organization. This is essentially an environment where everyone understands why data is important and is willing to adopt new mindsets in order to prioritize it. They grasp the connection between statistics and the mission at hand.
Here are some ways to accomplish that.
1. Work With Outside Consultants to Train Your People
Growth-hacking agencies and consultants provide organizations the fastest ways to grow revenue for their investors. Nonprofits can also utilize their expertise to learn impact growth strategies and train their people to be better agents for the growth of good and positive change.
A data consultant can also train your folks to understand more in-depth why website traffic matters, and how to tie the nonprofit’s mission to the web platform in a measurable way.
2. Make Sure You Are Hiring the Right Kind of People
Ideally, your team should have a solid understanding of how the right data can keep them informed if a program is working. For example, if a fundraising strategy is effective or profitable enough. And, if not, how to do better.
This will, in turn, help your team to better focus.
By measuring data, you cancel out the projects that aren’t working and do more of what is. But it takes the right kind of people — those who are willing to turn to the tech side of your nonprofit and accept that this newer way of working has powerful benefits.
3. Use Compelling and Easy-to-Understand Techniques
You don’t need a huge marketing budget or a fancy scheme that competes with other huge organizations. You do need an effective strategy.
Using data visualization techniques such as storytelling, social videos, animation, and similar strategies will help your nonprofit grow.
Can you hire content writers who are great at digging up human interest stories from your work? Can you boost web traffic by getting folks to share a video or interview that will be useful in optimizing your website?
This helps both private and public sectors to understand the impact your nonprofit is having and allows them to get involved with its growth.
More Benefits of a Data-Driven Culture
Aiming to create a data culture means striving to build a data-savvy organization that allows everyone on the team to get involved in its growth. Through annual reports and accessible dashboards, you can then evaluate your employees’ and teams’ performances and allocate donations and resources properly.
Nonprofits that are using analytics and data to improve their missions and operations are seeing tremendous growth and building capacity. They are minimizing the risk and guesswork. They are thriving because their decisions are based on real-time analysis brought about by a strong data culture.
Learn more about the data you need
to prove your impact.
SOURCES
- https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/86191/strategies_for_cultivating_an_organizational_learning_culture.pdf
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/emc/2014/06/06/5-steps-to-a-data-driven-culture/#362967d236f8
- https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/23/five-building-blocks-of-a-data-driven-culture/
- https://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/13/11189111/1118911113-44.pdf