NCTech4Good

where tech meets social change

where tech meets social change

So You Have a Lot of Data, Now What?

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Speaker: Emily Patterson – Feeling overwhelmed by data? Between Facebook Insights, Google Analytics and email open rates, it’s easy to collect spreadsheets of digital stats. But using this data to shape your nonprofit’s communications strategy is a lot more difficult. This talk has must dos for all nonprofits who want to stop just tracking data and start turning it into insights.

In this talk, you will learn how to:

– Avoid vanity metrics and use stats to really measure your campaign performance
– Stop worrying about others and start setting your own baselines
– Practical tips for getting insights from your data from a professional analyst

Emily Patterson
Emily Patterson runs Bee Measure, a digital agency devoted to helping nonprofits use data to create more effective outreach and digital campaigns. Emily has worked her whole career in nonprofit technology, including at Public Broadcasting Service and Better Business Bureau. She founded Bee Measure in 2016 specifically to help organizations large and small better use data and do more with limited budgets. When she’s not getting nerdy at work, Emily enjoys the outdoors, reading and sampling the many breweries of Charlottesville, Virginia. Emily is also a PMI-certified Project Management Professional.

From the Trees to the Forest, A Data Journey

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Speaker: Ian Henshaw – This session will look at the beginning of a journey of data exploration into the management of a non-profit. Starting with a few data points presented in monthly staff reports, and moving to data analysis to support an intensive effort to understand the indicators that will allow us to manage the organization to have a bigger and longer lasting impact. The journey starts with data presenting questions (like: “How much information can you get out of existing staff reports?”) and moving to what data we need to collect to get to real answers and understanding. The story is about The Carying Place, a transitional housing program in Cary, NC “Caring, Helping & Equipping Wake County Families for Living”.

Ian Henshaw
As a technology evangelist Ian is involved in the open economy, entrepreneurial development and data management/analysis. Deeply involved with the demand side of information from the entrepreneurial and civic communities and managing projects with many multiple stakeholders. Ian is currently serving as the Vice President of the Board for The Carying Place.

Turn Your Data into Insights and Your Insights into Stories

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Nonprofit organizations are run by passionate and dedicated individuals who often do not have the time or resources to dive into and analyze data that help them communicate to their constituents. Often these organizations have a wealth of data, but a lack of resources in which to analyze and communicate their insights gleaned with that data. This session will explore using available free tools to analyze and visualize data to share your stories.

Karen Patch
Karen Patch is a Sr. Technical Manager in Education Division at SAS. She has been with SAS for 18 years in roles ranging from presales engineering to developing and managing a technology enablement and development group. Karen has been focused on Education for the past 9 years, where she works with SAS education collaboration partners to help develop new technology solutions to achieve analytic insight for all ranges of SAS learners. In this role she has helped local non-profits find analytic insights to help tell their stories. Karen has a Masters of Science in Analytics from Capella University where she is now an adjunct faculty member in the Masters in Analytics program. She currently teaches Foundations in Analytics and Data Sources in Analytics. Karen received her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Karen is a native North Carolinian who currently lives in Durham, NC with her two daughters and 3 rescue dogs.

Google Data Studio, The Best Free Tool You’re Not Using

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Google released Data Studio in 2017 with little fanfare. This reporting tool offers interactive reports and dashboards that can be easily shared with your staff, board and other stakeholders. This intuitive and easy to use tool can visualize your website and other data with a few simple clicks. In this session I will demonstrate how to build custom reports and dashboard that can be shared with anyone. Don’t spend hundreds of dollars on high end reporting solutions when you can do it for free!

Brian McDonald
A technical marketer with a passion for design and communication, I have been designing and managing digital marketing campaigns for 15+ years. During this time I've created strategy and implemented websites, SEO/SEM/social media campaigns, as well as video and mobile applications. For the past several years I volunteered with the Triangle Chapter of the American Marketing Association to create one of the leading chapters in the nation. I had the opportunity to create the chapter's initial social media and content marketing presence and was the 2011-2012 chapter president. Speaker/Moderator at Ignite Raleigh, Converge South, Internet Summit and Digital Marketing For Business Conference.

Analytics for Internet Supremacy

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Have you ever opened that Insights panel in Facebook and made this face 😖. Does Google Analytics confuse the heck out of you? And Twitter, how do you track those tweets?!

Let our analytics wizardry amaze you! In this session

  • Learn the basics of reading and understanding your analytics tools.
  • Get a map to Google Analytics and Facebook Insights plus a few tips on Twitter and Instagram tracking tools.
  • Walk out with a basic reporting tool to understand your internet engagement better.

DISCLAIMER: This session isn’t for fellow analytics level 20 wizards, this is for everyone else who wants to just learn a little bit more about the tools available.

Mary Alice Holley
BC/DC Ideas

Speaker Bio
The media mind of BC/DC Ideas, Mary Alice has spent the past five years honing her skills in public relations with a diverse mix of for-profit and nonprofit projects. Ranging from affordable housing to telecommunications and a few political candidates, she’s seen it all, but Mary Alice realized her passion for nonprofits and sustainability while publishing a local food guide with a teaching farm in Tennessee.

Now in Raleigh, Mary Alice brings her enthusiasm and PR experience to BC/DC Ideas’ nonprofit client roster. The team’s content and public relations manager, Mary Alice is busy behind the scenes writing digital content, executing award-winning media plans and getting our clients noticed. A positive Piscean and a March baby, she loves how her positive nature is working for the good of the nonprofit world every day.

Things that make her happy: Whipping up some kale smoothies and cold pressed juices, Bob Dylan, Raleigh’s live and local music scene, and of course, time spent with her dog Hazel.

NCTech4Good, an affiliate of NTEN and TechSoup’s NetSquared, is the local resource for nonprofit technology information. Join the sharing and networking at monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. usually at UNC-TV, and our annual conference, http://www.nct4g.org/. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @nctech4good, and with the hashtag #nct4g.