ABW 2023 Conference: Creating Impact at Nonprofits with Professional Analytics Support

Key Insights:

• Analytics professionals play a crucial role in driving impact at nonprofit organizations.
• Collaboration between nonprofits and data companies can unlock the potential for standardized and efficient projects.
• Building relationships, creating balanced teams, and continuous training are essential for successful collaborations.
• The real goal is to make data-driven practices sustainable within organizations.

Panel 1B, chaired by Robert Monné (Managing Director of ABW), shed light on the impactful role of analytics professionals in driving positive change within nonprofit organizations. The panel aimed to explore the collaborations between ABW’s nonprofit and company network, highlighting success stories, lessons learned, and the added value derived from such partnerships.

The discussion opened with Bouke Pieter Ottow, Data Engineering at 510 Netherlands Red Cross, providing insights into how 510 develops and enhances data architecture to improve efficiency. One notable example involved establishing a common data architecture with a shared data lake and catalog, resulting in enhanced scalability and reusability of data. Boy Raaijmakers, Data Engineer at ORTEC, shared the results of an analysis that identified the essential requirements for standardizing projects. This collaboration between ORTEC and 510 led to increased knowledge of Azure within the team and more efficient utilization of cloud resources.

Maarten Kuijpers, Monitoring Evaluation Advisor at Amref Flying Doctors, emphasized the importance of building strong relationships and creating balanced teams when collaborating between nonprofits and data companies. He highlighted three key lessons: establishing mutual acquaintance and assessing added value, working together to define responsibilities and priorities, and continually training staff and developing scalable solutions. Stijn Kuijpers, Managing Consultant at CMotions, stressed the significance of making data-driven practices sustainable within organizations. He outlined a three-step approach: aligning with data identity and strategy, organizing data maturity scans and a data-driven roadmap, and accomplishing goals through data analytics, reporting, integration, and marketing.

The panel sparked great interest among the audience, leading to relevant questions that facilitated a fruitful discussion, generating valuable insights.

Watch the full recording here: