Data Driven Nonprofits

by Steve MacLaughlin

Big Data is completely transforming how companies drive their decision making, but many nonprofit organizations are unprepared to make the most of this opportunity.

Nonprofit organizations are vital to making meaningful change in the world and they have significant amounts of untapped potential in their data. Unfortunately, many nonprofits lack the strategies, skills, and guidance to make better engagement, fundraising, advocacy, and program decisions based on their data.

Data Driven Nonprofits is a guide book for nonprofit organizations that want to improve their performance and increase positive change in the world. Learn from industry leaders and nonprofit professionals that have unlocked the keys to becoming more data driven.

Data driven nonprofits accelerate change in the world when staff use data to influence strategy and inform decisions that produce value and impact. Author Steve MacLaughlin is a respected nonprofit industry, fundraising, and online giving expert. He explores how data driven nonprofits are shaping the world and what makes them successful.

Data Driven Nonprofits will help you understand:

• Why data is important to you and your nonprofit organization

• How the nonprofit sector, technology, and big data are converging

• What are some of the challenges to becoming more data driven

• Why the culture of a nonprofit organization plays such an important role

• How organizations of all sizes and causes have become more data driven

• What the future holds for nonprofits that embrace a data driven mindset

Data Driven Nonprofits contains insights and interviews from more than 20 respected charity sector experts. First-hand stories from not-for-profit organizations like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of South Dakota, Indiana University, Worldwide Cancer Research, SCIAF, Royal National Institute of Blind People, Project HOPE, Denver Rescue Mission, Florida State University, Humane Society of the United States, VolunteerMatch, Crisis Text Line, and charity: water are featured throughout the book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Professional Development

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2016

About the author

Steve MacLaughlin is the Vice President of Data & Analytics at Blackbaud and bestselling author of Data Driven Nonprofits. Steve has spent more than 20 years driving innovation with a broad range of companies, government institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

MacLaughlin has been featured as a fundraising and nonprofit expert in many mainstream publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, USA Today, Bloomberg, and has appeared on National Public Radio.

He is a frequent speaker at nonprofit events including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), American Marketing Association (AMA), American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association (DMFA), Giving Institute Summer Symposium, National Association of Independent School (NAIS), Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), Institute of Fundraising National Convention, Civil Society Conference, and the Resource Alliance’s Fundraising Online event.

Steve serves on the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) Board of Directors and supports its focus on both the growth and professionalism of the nonprofit technology field as well as building knowledge and information sharing capacity throughout the sector.

Steve is a published author of a chapter in the book People to People Fundraising: Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities, and a contributing co-editor of the book Internet Management for Nonprofits: Strategies, Tools & Trade Secrets. His latest book, Data Driven Nonprofits will be published in September 2016.

MacLaughlin earned both his undergraduate degree and a Master of Science degree in Interactive Media from Indiana University.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I rated this 3 stars, I think it's importance exceeds that and so I would definitely recommend it. Nonprofit organizations are being called upon to be more data driven and there really is not enough literature addressing this, so MacLaughlin bravely tackles an important topic. Moreover, I think his conclusions are on target and he has a smart and realistic view of what data driven means in the context of philanthropy and nonprofit management. The only major knock against it was that it seemed to ask more questions than providing the specific examples of what being data driven really looks like. The examples that are given are somewhat vague in details. I truly hope there will be a follow up book that continues the dialogue.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The emerging field of data science holds great promise for the nonprofit sector. There are lots of ways nonprofits can be data driven. Personally, I picked up this book hoping to find innovative community-based research on identifying needs and measuring outcomes, which are touched on very lightly toward the end of this book. For those interested in fundraising, the book compiles insights from a number of experts in the field.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating overview of the importance of using data for smart decision making in non-profits. I was hoping for more specifics on how to begin creating a culture around data. Instead, this book provided a multitude of examples of organizations that have already done it and little suggestion on how to begin the process.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got through this one. It is very story heavy, which was nice at times but also filled the pages more than I needed. Still a very good book, and is definitely helping me articulate my fustrations at work. Hopefully we can work towards a data driven non-profit.