Analytics for a Better World: Our Strategy for 2024 and Beyond

Long-Term Strategic Goals

At the core of our strategy are two goals. Firstly, we strongly believe in the added value of analytics and are committed to catalyzing profound change within nonprofits, translating into a targeted acceleration of their missions by a minimum of 10%. This ensures that the application of analytics becomes a catalyst for meaningful advancement, be it for example in healthcare and WASH accessibility, the monumental task of cleansing oceans from plastic or various other sectors and fields.

However, as we are aware of the scarcity of resources in our field, our commitment to efficiency is important. We are committed to creating impact that surpasses our own operational costs by at least tenfold.

Building the Organization to Support the Mission

Our strategic impact and growth blueprint encompasses several pivotal elements. We aim to secure additional (corporate) funding, growing to at least 10 contributors and establishing a scenario where the departure of one funder equates to a mere 10% loss of budget. Leaving us not in the risky situation of being dependent on a small number of sponsors. Incremental growth in our research community is on the horizon, extending our capabilities beyond the current network. We aim to secure annual grants and funds from governments, donors or philanthropic sources. A commitment to increasing revenue from our services, coupled with the establishment of a global team and regional/local partnerships, are critical enablers for our sustainable impact.

Two guiding principles direct our path to impactful outcomes: Nonprofit Independence, where our ambition is to ensure that the projects we complete are maintainable and sustainable without instilling dependence on ABW, and Knowledge Dissemination, acknowledging the transformative power of education. We envision the creation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed to empower thousands to independently apply analytics.

By no means a goal by itself, but our success will be tangibly demonstrated on the long term by winning an NGO impact award, delivering a keynote address at a prominent conference like AI for Good, and being invited by popular media to share impactful stories.

Themes for Transformation

To give form to our long-term goals, we have a few transformative themes to guide our evolution. We aim to shift from a “new kid on the block” to a valued ecosystem member actively sought out for the toughest analytics challenges. Our scope will expand from a Dutch (Europe) footprint to a global presence in NGO projects and company/research partnerships. We are transitioning from a starting up organization dependent on two sponsors to a sustainably funded organization, progressing from ad-hoc consulting to deep collaborations that directly accelerate our nonprofit partner’s missions. Our portfolio will shift from one-off projects towards becoming a Center of Excellence for nonprofits, offering reusable and scalable models/components that scale impact.

Key Priorities for 2024

In the coming year, our focus will be twofold: concentrating efforts on delivering impactful projects for nonprofit partners and acquiring funding to solidify organizational sustainability while sharing and proving our business model.

Supportive Actions

In parallel, we are committed to supportive actions, actively seeking funding and grants for our software repository and impact domains such as the Public infrastructure and services optimization analytics toolkit (PISA) and our humanitarian AI toolbox. We aim to elevate our fellowship by exploring funding opportunities for scaling, potentially evolving towards a MOOC, and introducing new courses like “Creating Impact with Analytics for Leadership and Executives.” Our continued focus on strengthening exposure and awareness on the added value of analytics for nonprofits, through events and outreach initiatives forms an important part of our strategy.

Join Us in Our Mission

For those who resonate with our vision, there are various avenues of participation. Nonprofits can engage with us on projects that are both innovative and analytically challenging, transcending ‘simple’ reporting or dashboarding. Companies and philanthropies are invited to provide financial and in-kind support, can become strategic partners, business/tech sponsors, or adopt a specific project or activity. Researchers are encouraged to join our network, contributing to projects such as PISA and Humanitarian ML.

What’s to come?

In the upcoming year, we eagerly anticipate the new and continuation of impactful projects in collaboration with esteemed nonprofits such as Ocean Cleanup, Oxfam Novib, Medicins Sans Frontières, 510 – an initiative by the Dutch Red Cross, Amref Health Africa, UNEP, and UNDP. Simultaneously, we look forward to embarking on new analytics challenges that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our recently launched monthly ABW Cafés represent a platform where knowledge will be shared, fostering interactive discussions among our diverse members from nonprofits, companies, and research sectors. Additionally, we look forward to welcome you on our annual ABW conference, which will serve as a forum to disseminate success stories and engage in dialogues about the forthcoming analytics challenges that require attention. The ongoing commitment to our fellowship remains a focal point, as it continues to impart valuable analytics skills to a global audience of nonprofit data practitioners.

As we eagerly anticipate impactful projects, knowledge-sharing events, and continued impact with our fellowship, ABW extends an invitation to all who share our vision for a better world through analytics. Together, let’s build a future where analytics becomes a transformative force, shaping better lives and fostering positive change.

Watch the recording of the first ABW Café, where ABW Managing Director Robert Monné shared all these information in an inspiring talk: