How Data is Transforming Communities

Data isn’t just numbers on a chart. It’s the bridge connecting sectors, sparking collaboration, and driving measurable impact.   When data shifts from answering questions to informing actions, it becomes the foundation for sustainable change.   Some questions that drive behavioural change are:-   1.⁠ ⁠What Happens When the Connection Breaks?   Without Data: Decisions lack direction. Insights are missed, and progress stalls.   Without Collaboration Across Sectors: Silos form, limiting impact and innovation.   Without Impact: Efforts lose focus, wasting time and resources.   2.⁠ ⁠What is The 3Es Framework: Engagement, Education, Enablement   When data, sectors, and impact align, we create actionable, scalable solutions. Leveraging data through the 3Es transforms how we connect insights to actions:   A) Engagement (Conversation & Collaboration)   Healthcare: Real-time data from wearables fosters collaboration between doctors and researchers, enabling early diagnoses and tailored treatments.   Governance & Social Justice: Open data portals empower communities to monitor policies and advocate for equity.   B) Education (Analysis & Interpretation)   Education Systems: Countries like Estonia personalize learning experiences by using data to identify gaps and optimize outcomes.   Economic Development: Platforms like UN Global Pulse interpret data trends to ensure equitable growth and inclusivity.   C) Enablement (Easy Access & Application)   Environment: NASA’s Earth data helps nations monitor carbon emissions, predict weather patterns, and mitigate disasters.   Agriculture: Tools like India’s CropIn provide farmers with actionable insights, reducing waste and increasing productivity.   3.⁠ ⁠How do we amplify Impact Through Actionable Data   In crises, data transforms response strategies:   Disaster Relief: Real-time satellite imagery connected aid organizations to impacted areas during the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, ensuring timely resource allocation.   Technology: AI-driven accessibility tools open opportunities for underserved communities, turning data into meaningful solutions.   4.⁠ ⁠What is The Future of Data   Data must evolve from static reports to dynamic strategies that:   Spark Engagement by fostering conversations and partnerships.   Provide Education through clear, actionable insights.   Drive Enablement with tools that make data accessible and actionable.   5.⁠ ⁠How do we build a Connected Future   Data, sectors, and impact form a network—a system that unites ideas, people, and solutions.   By transforming data into a bridge for informed actions, we don’t just answer questions; we create opportunities, solve problems, and drive global progress.   P.S. How are you using data today to build connections and enable action?  

The Data Paradox: 90% of #nonprofits collect data, but only 14% actually use it effectively to drive decisions or tell their impact story. That's not just a missed opportunity, it's leaving change on the table. At Scisney Social Impact Inc. dba The Data Guys™, we've found that transforming raw numbers into compelling narratives isn't just about pretty charts. It's about connecting metrics to meaning, statistics to stories of real people. Here's how small businesses and nonprofits can bridge this gap: 1. Start with the "So what?" - Every data point should answer: Why does this matter to real people? 2. Combine quantitative + qualitative - Numbers tell what happened, stories tell why it matters. You need both. 3. Visualize with context - Maps showing food deserts hit differently than spreadsheets of addresses. 4. Center the community voice - The most powerful impact stories come from those experiencing the change, not those measuring it. We recently worked with a community health initiative that had years of program data but struggled to secure continued funding. By mapping health outcomes geographically and pairing them with participant testimonials, their impact became undeniable, resulting in a 47% increase in donor engagement. The most compelling data stories don't just inform, they transform understanding and inspire action. What's one data point your organization collects that could tell a more powerful story? Let's brainstorm in the comments! #DataForGood #ImpactMeasurement #SmallBusinessSuccess #TuesdayThoughts

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 When a data center moves into a community, the benefits extend far beyond technology: 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 🎯 Data centers increasingly rely on renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and nuclear. 🎯 In 2023, 81% of new utility-scale renewable projects were cheaper than fossil fuels, lowering energy costs for everyone. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 🎯 In Virginia alone, data centers supported 78,000 jobs and generated $31.4 billion in economic output in 2023. 🎯 Providers actively retrain military veterans and partner with universities for specialized education. 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: 🎯 Hotels, cybersecurity firms, IT hardware companies, and consultancies often follow data center development, creating robust business ecosystems. 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: 🎯 Data centers fund significant upgrades to local roads, broadband, and power infrastructure. 🎯 They offer a high fiscal benefit, paying about $26 in local taxes for every $1 of public service used. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: 🎯 Providers frequently support local nonprofits, educational initiatives, and community projects, contributing directly to residents' well-being. While challenges exist, communities experiencing "𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁" often see significant economic revitalization, improved infrastructure, and increased quality of life, even leading some locals to jokingly anticipate perks like getting their own Trader Joe's. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: https://lnkd.in/ecHpKgZv (𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned Data Centers via Fast Company)

➡️ Article in The Conversation U.S. : "Beyond Checking a Box: How a Social Licence can Help Communities Benefit from Data Reuse and AI" (✍️ with Peter Martey Addo, PhD). The promise of AI to transform key sectors like 🌾 agriculture, 🏥 healthcare, and 📚 education in developing countries is immense. But unlocking these benefits responsibly requires rethinking how we approach data reuse. 🔑 Key Challenges: ⚖️ Data Asymmetries and Power Imbalances: Between Global North and South, and even within nations. 🛑 Limitations of Consent: Traditional check-the-box approaches overlook community values and collective needs. ✨ Different Approach: Social Licence 🌟 What is it? A community-driven approach ensuring data reuse aligns with collective preferences, values and interests. 🤝 How does it help? Provides agency and balances risks and opportunities (e.g., data for public good). 🚀 Steps to Implementation: 1️⃣ Community Engagement: Through innovation in participation (e.g. "data assemblies") that engage communities, especially the marginalized. 2️⃣ Legal & Policy Innovation: Translating collective decisions into enforceable mechanisms. 3️⃣ Institutional Innovation: Empowering roles like Data Stewards to oversee responsible data sharing for public and private good. 🔍 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e8UNxaPQ #data #ai #artificialintelligence #development #sociallicense #data4good #datagovernance #datastewardship

Interested in how using data and tech can advance #equity in #policing? Check out the new Urban Institute blogs by Azhar Gulaid to learn from two Catalyst Grant Program grantees working on the ground in Puerto Rico and Tulsa, Oklahoma.    - Kilómetro Cero transformed and analyzed data from PDF documents about Puerto Rico law enforcement use-of-force incidents, in combination with community reports. They found that police use-of-force incidents that were rated to be “potentially lethal” occurred at higher rates in predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods, independently of income levels. To reduce police incidents, their educational workshops helped community members reflect on how to handle conflict situations without police intervention. Blog available in Spanish and English.  https://lnkd.in/eCe_PEkF - The Terence Crutcher Foundation in Tulsa understands that just publishing data and reports documenting racial inequities is not enough to transform public safety. With Catalyst funding, they conducted community walks and town halls with residents to share their analysis about racial disparities in policing and laid the groundwork for conversations about the ways community members can work together to advance their vision for justice and liberation.  https://lnkd.in/eGyCuWbe Many thanks to these groups for sharing their stories! The Catalyst Grant Program is a collaboration between the Urban Institute and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative to help nonprofit organizations use data and technology to advance racial equity and reform in the criminal legal system.