It’s been called the fourth industrial revolution, the big data era. Governments and big businesses have jumped aboard, harnessing the power of data to inform strategy and guide organizations. But what about the nonprofit sector? How can we organized ourselves to make the most of data?
It’s a question that ABNN is tackling through the exploration of a province-wide Nonprofit Data Strategy. A group of nonprofits have come together to discuss how are we currently measuring and using data, and whether a province-wide approach might be worth the investment.
The Current State of Data in the Sector
A survey conducted by PolicyWise for Children & Families in spring of 2018 showed that most nonprofits in Alberta see data as a strategic asset to their organizations, but face a number of challenges. Organizations are concerned about governance issues such as data privacy and ethics, as well as technical barriers, such as data quality issues and using complicated software systems. Another key theme from the survey was the lack of capacity and staff training to take full advantage of data.
The challenges increase when considering sector-wide, province-wide data gathering and sharing. That being said, research done by the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) shows that the value of data can be dramatically increased when it is shared. Through data sharing we can see patterns and gain insights that would not be apparent if data remained closed in organizational silos. The report also shows that efforts are likely worth it – the benefits of a data strategy include using evidence to inform more responsive programs and services, learning and communicating about impact, and collaborating more effectively.
Imagining What a Province-Wide Data Strategy Looks Like
With the support of an Alberta Culture and Tourism grant, ABNN’s Data Strategy Steering Committee embarked on a project to identify the challenges and opportunities, assess the sector’s capacity and start scoping the elements of a strategy. Results of this first phase were summarized and shared in a white paper.
Phase II will build upon Phase I. The Steering Committee and other network participants will engage in further stakeholder consultations to get input on proposed initiatives, and then move on to planning the implementation.
“We know that there’s a lot of work to do, but it’s really exciting to have a team in place that sees the potential of a good data strategy and is willing to work through the challenges,” says Robyn Blackadar, ABNN Data Strategy Steering Committee Co-Chair and President & CEO of PolicyWise for Children & Families. “ABNN provides a space for collaboration across the sector so that we can bring multiple perspectives on the issues and find solutions together.”
If you have questions or would like to get involved in this project, we invite you to reach out to info@albertanonprofits.ca. Otherwise, look for more updates as we make progress!
