Data, Analysis, and AI trends don’t only apply to large corporates and for-profit businesses. In fact, in some ways, they are more aligned with how NPOs already think and operate.
I came across this Gartner article recently and saw the value for smaller to medium-sized businesses as well as nonprofit organisations.
The article explains that the three key themes deliver proven value and focus on the “why,” rather than just the how and what of data and analytics. Some of their top 10 trends link to more than one theme.
The three themes are Think like a business, Move from platforms to Ecosystems and Don’t forget the Humans.
The full article is available here. Let’s look at how it applies to nonprofits:
Think like a business – a proactive approach to expand your impact while considering the impact of tools.
Charity organisations know that their impact attracts new donors. If you don’t have your impact numbers readily available, it is difficult to convince potential donors.
Data management is one of the core functions of an NPO. Donors demand regular reports to ensure that their funding delivers impact. I’ve worked in a Charity where much of the data was on paper and in those days, it was impossible to capture this electronically to see bigger trends, never mind capturing more data to identify opportunities for greater impact. AI tools and data analysis tools make this possible and easy.
Much has been written about the value of AI for business and more recently I’ve seen several articles on how AI tools can bring efficiencies to nonprofit organisations. It is true that NPOs need to consider risks very carefully as they typically work with vulnerable individuals and groups. At the same time NPOs struggle due to a lack of staff. There are magnificent tools that can do laborious tasks, freeing up humans to focus on relationship-building and more creative tasks. When data is observable it brings insights and sparks ideas to improve. Sharing data with employees, volunteers, funders, and advisors as your programs progress, gives them the opportunity to generate ideas on how to expand your organisation’s impact.
Move from platforms to ecosystems – be agile, integrate data and analytics in your organisation
Harness the collective capacity of your stakeholder base who all have a genuine interest in making your NPO succeed. By sharing your data, you make it possible for all stakeholders to understand your ecosystem.
Well-designed dashboards and reports make it possible to trace the flow of data and insight throughout your organisation’s broader ecosystem. Would large funders not appreciate instant access to a program dashboard that shares the impact to date instead of waiting for a quarterly or annual report.
Don’t forget the humans – don’t lose touch with stakeholders and design data and analytics to serve these stakeholders.
Many NPOs naturally consider people in everything they do. The third theme is a reminder that technology and tech solutions should serve your cause, not be implemented for its own sake.
Just as in business consumers can become creators, in the nonprofit world all stakeholders can suggest ways to grow impact and make your programs more efficient. Of all sectors, the social sector is one where collaboration is embraced and there is less competition. Harness the skills, knowledge, and insights from all as they start with the same information.
Data-driven decision-making will serve your cause as it enables humans to make more informed decisions. Consider how you use and manage data, analysis, and AI in your NPO or NPC. It is potentially a goldmine
If you are ready to embark on a Data Analyses and AI journey – we’d gladly help and guide you. Contact us.
Thanks to Gareth Herschel a VP Analyst with Gartner for this insightful article.
Also, see how NPOs use data analytics to save time and money here: https://beacondataanalytics.com/npos-use-data-analytics-to-save-time-and-money/