By Barbara Blumenthal - Funders dream about collecting data from agencies that will answer important questions about participant progress and agency performance. Read more >>
News & Views
A blog for those interested in what affects, motivates and drives the New York City Nonprofit Sector — written by CRE’s crackerjack consulting team. We hope you use this space to share your thoughts, ask questions and engage in conversations about our city, social justice and the nonprofit sector.
Is Your Agency (or Grantee) Starved for Data?
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Comments
Very well written and relevant piece. I like your style. You write about complexities in a very simple, straightforward manner. Nice work. (And, yes, I do think you should submit it for press...)
Your comments are right on target! As I was reading, I felt like shouting, "Yes! This is exactly what nonprofits need to hear!" There is a huge pool of data that could be collected and used, but isn't.
One addition I would make is in the power of collaborations bringing nonprofits together to increase their purchasing power. Software can be pricey, but that doesn't mean it is inaccessible. I wrote about some of our clients who came together to purchase our software, ClientTrack,in an interview with Amy Sample Ward (see http://www.clienttrack.com/OurCommunity/Blog/tabid/83/PostID/7/Amy-Sample-Ward-Interview-re-Collaboration.aspx). By joining together, three community action agencies were able to get state funding to implement an integrated software solution.
Additionally, the interview references another of our clients who implemented our software to track client progress across 60+ affiliated organizations. It's not about service outcomes anymore, but about individual outcomes across a wide continuum of care. That's a powerful level of analysis that we haven't seen happening, but is now possible. I urge you to look into our software a bit more because I believe it addresses an overwhelming majority of the issues you mention. There ARE accessible solutions, and nonprofit leaders need to know about them. There is no need to be "data starved," as you say, in a world of amazing technology.