Initiative to Help Nonprofits Expand Knowledge, Impact & Use of Data

A core aspect of the work of the Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) centers around building data literacy skills for businesses, nonprofits, community organizations and individuals, as an element in advocating for the use of reliable data in public policy development and organizational decision-making.

Data literacy is essential in a range of challenges facing nonprofits, who are often awash in data that they don't know how to use to demonstrate their impact; or are uncertain of precisely what data to collect, how to collect it, and how to use it strategically. These situations – and others - present challenges for nonprofits – as well as opportunities.

CTData, based in Hartford, is a statewide public-private partnership that empowers an ecosystem of data users by democratizing access to public data and building data literacy skills, serving nonprofits, advocates, policymakers, community groups, and funders in using data to drive policy and improve programs and services, budgeting and decision-making at the state, regional and local levels.

To assist nonprofit organizations in turning challenges into opportunities, and get a better handle on using data effectively to advance their mission and operations, CTData has launched CTData Strategic Planning®, a social enterprise that provides training and coaching to help nonprofits build Data Strategic Plans.

The process helps nonprofits align data with their mission so they can determine – based on data - whether they are reaching their goals. Through the planning process, organizations learn how to move from collecting data reactively to a proactive and strategic purpose.

“This new CTData consulting service enables organizations to have agency over their data, successfully measure their progress, and most importantly be able share their story of the benefit they provide to the communities they serve," said Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative.

A grant in support of the initiative was recently provided by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The grant will provide this consulting service to five Hartford-area nonprofit organizations to create a full Data Strategic Plan. The first cohort of organizations participating include: Hockanum Valley Community Council (HVCC), Talcott Mountain Science Center, FOCUS Center for Autism, iQuilt Partnership, and Intensive Education Academy (IEA).

CTData will be offering CTData Strategic Planning® to a new cohort of nonprofits, which will kick-off in January. Organizations interested in learning more can attend one of the upcoming informational sessions: November 28, 2:00-2:30 PM or November 29, 2:00-2:30 PM. Sign-up for the free informational session is at http://datastrategicplans.org.

“We are excited to support CTData’s efforts to help nonprofits improve their data collection, management, and use – ultimately with the eye to supporting program design and delivery, continuous improvement, and telling their stories of progress and impact,” said Kate Szczerbacki, Director of Strategic Learning and Evaluation for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

CTData Strategic Planning® provides nonprofit organizations to take ownership over their data, measure their impact, and tell their story through data. With a Data Strategic Plan, nonprofit staff can plan their data collection, analysis, and reporting process to inform decision-making. The Plan is a resource for staff to understand every step of the process, from identifying program goals, to collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting findings.

By participating, nonprofit staff will develop increased data literacy skills - and increased confidence in those skills; create a roadmap for their organization that incorporates all parts of the data life cycle – aligning activities to outcomes, with a data collection plan and appropriate tools for measurement and analysis; and spend less time sifting through “messy” data and more time compiling their data into useful information that can inform decisions.

In addition, nonprofit organization staff will develop the capacity to use data to regularly improve services and programs; communicate information about results to funders and increase their funding base; and better understand why they collect the information they do from the people they serve. The Data Strategic Planning process is divided into four successive phases:

• Phase I: Building a Framework for a Data Strategic Plan
• Phase II: Developing Your Data Strategic Plan
• Phase III: Implementing Your Data Strategic Plan
• Phase IV: Tracking and Monitoring Implementation

Additional benefits of participation in the Data Strategic Planning program include strengthened relationships between nonprofits and the individuals they seek to support, greater confidence that the programs being provided truly benefit the people they are meant to support; and improved data collection in areas beyond those specifically outlined as part of the Plan.

CT Data offers a variety of services to empower organizations and individuals to collect, analyze, interpret, visualize, and use their data and public data to make informed decisions. The nonprofit organization is a leading advocate for accessible data for everyone.

CTData also operates the CTData Academy, which provides a range of classes and programs throughout the year, and also provides customized data training, hosts easy-to-use, downloadable data, creates customized data visualizations and interactive data tools, provides data consulting services, and supports a community of data users through events and conferences.

In addition, CTData is the lead organization in Connecticut in the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Program and the state’s official source for census data. More than 200 data sets are now accessible to the public on the CT Data website, including a wide array of subjects and policy categories. To learn more about the Connecticut Data Collaborative, CTData Strategic Planning®, and CTData Academy, visit www.ctdata.org.