Category

Data Strategy

Data Strategy

How to Measure a Program Everyone Says Can't Be Measured

Advocacy, arts, and community programs resist neat metrics. How to measure outcomes honestly when the work is hard to count.

Joshua Barillas  ·  September 2, 2026
Data Strategy

Before You Hire a Data Person, Read This

A nonprofit data hire is riskier than it looks. How to decide whether to hire or outsource, and what to do in the meantime.

Joshua Barillas  ·  July 22, 2026
Data Strategy

The Difference Between a Data Quality Problem and a Data Use Problem

Bad data and unused data are different problems. They have different causes and different fixes. Here's how to tell which one you're actually dealing with.

Joshua Barillas  ·  June 24, 2026
Data Strategy

What to Do When Your Funders Control Your Data Systems

Most data strategy advice assumes you chose your systems. For a lot of nonprofits, that's not true. Here's how to handle funder-driven fragmentation.

Joshua Barillas  ·  June 10, 2026
Data Strategy

What a Data Strategy Actually Looks Like for a 10-Person Nonprofit

A data strategy for a small nonprofit doesn't require a consultant or new software. It requires a day of focused thinking. Here's what it actually looks like.

Joshua Barillas  ·  May 6, 2026
Data Strategy

The Nonprofit Data Maturity Model: Where Does Your Org Stand?

Most nonprofits know their data could be better. Fewer know where they stand or what to fix first. Here's a plain-language framework for figuring that out.

Joshua Barillas  ·  April 1, 2026