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Big Data for All: Why All Nonprofits Need Big Data

Big Data - the name probably makes you think of huge databases being sifted through by statistics nerds, economists and financial analysts. That's actually a fair image, sort of. The same type of analysis that helps economists and others make sound financial decisions and understand social trends can be of use to activists and nonprofit staff.

Redefining What 'Big Data" Means:

You initially think of databases that contain millions or billions of records, like Census files. At least one observer of big data wants you to think in terms of importance as well as size. Look at it like this: Mining a huge database of people who support causes like yours can yield some fundraising and marketing insights. Or, you can determine up-front what data is critically important for your organization or cause.

Your cause or organization probably has something that's missing, some data that would significantly improve your advocacy, fundraising or social marketing efforts.

Three Ways to Use 'Big' Data

Data can support your work in many ways. Every movement and nonprofit organization wants to be effective and to use its resources (money and labor) efficiently. Collect data yourself or use existing data to answer many important questions:


  • How bad is the problem you want to address?
  • Is this problem markedly more severe in some areas or some populations?
  • How are your programs working, in terms of numbers?


Use those numbers in fundraising materials, in grant proposals, in marketing plans and in social marketing ads. Numbers should also inform strategic planning: Do you need to invest more resources in this district or that one, for example. Make a case for the effectiveness of a program. What statement impresses you more:

Children and their parents love our science programs, which are mostly filled to capacity.
We taught 650 area middle-school students last year, 150 of whom attended more than one class. Both numbers are up more than 50% from when we started our classes in the June of 2012.

Start Today

Big data and data science are complicated topics to be sure. But the benefits of data-driven activism and nonprofit planning are crucially important though, so you can earn big dividends if you spend some time looking at data you have on your organization.



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