Data Storytelling for Nonprofits: Cultivating a Strong Data Culture

Learn how to center data-driven decision-making in your organization’s culture and create opportunities for staff to engage with data practices in collaborative ways. We will discuss tools and recommendations for cultivating an equitable, data-centered work culture, and approaches for meaningful community engagement through data-driven insights and narratives.

Featured Speakers:

Micaelan V. Gasperich, Research Data Analyst at Kids First Chicago

As a Research Data Analyst at Kids First Chicago, Micaelan uses her expertise in technology, data analysis, and research to inform and empower Chicago parents as decision-makers in their children’s K-12 education. Overall, her work reflects a commitment to utilizing technology to promote data transparency, increase awareness of challenges in education, and advocate for equitable education policy and program reform. Before joining the K1C team, Micaelan worked in the biomedical research field. At the University of Pittsburgh, she was a member of the Center for Sleep and Cardiovascular Outcomes Research, where she aided in a variety of clinical studies focusing on the health impacts of sleep apnea and sleep deprivation. When she moved to Chicago, she worked and studied at Rush University as a member of a movement disorders research group, leading a computational study of halting behavior in a treated mouse model.Micaelan graduated from Washington & Jefferson College with a BA in Neuroscience and received a MS in Integrated Biomedical Science from Rush University. When she isn’t working, she enjoys reading, board/tabletop games, solving escape rooms, and trying her best in competitive trivia.

Chris D. Poulos, Senior Manager of Research and Policy at Kids First Chicago

Chris is the Senior Manager of Research and Policy at Kids First Chicago (K1C). As part of the Data Science and Research team, Chris creates data and policy tools that expand access to education data as well as knowledge of education policy. Additionally, Chris is advancing K1C’s research agenda and using data-driven insights to elevate parent policy priorities. Prior to K1C, Chris was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Chris’ research interests are urban inequalities, political economy, and public finance. He has co-published peer-reviewed articles on inequalities in school finance policy and a book chapter on veteran homelessness and home ownership. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Master’s of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago as well as a B.A. in Sociology from Northeastern Illinois University. He enjoys books and bikes.

This workshop is Session 3 of Data Storytelling for Nonprofits, a three-part workshop series from the Data Science Institute. This series is centered on how nonprofit and social sector organizations can leverage data effectively to tell the stories and impact of their work. These workshops will provide you with resources and tools for assessing your data practice, strategies for meaningfully communicating data, and resources for building further data capacity.

This workshop is open to all nonprofit professionals and social sector leaders interested in building data culture and capacity within their organizations. This Session 3 is designed for participants who have completed a Data Maturity Assessment in Sessions 1 or 2 of the Data Storytelling for Nonprofits workshop series. If you’re new to this workshop series, we recommend you take the Data Maturity Assessment here.

Questions? Contact Ari Zickau, Community Data Fellows Program Manager.

Register HERE