WHAT THE FUNDRAISING
127: Clean Data: Creating Transparent and Ethical Data Initiatives with Meena Das
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“Data has a lot of power, and equity seems to be like a broad word that we feel like, oh, I don’t have a relationship with that word, but we really do.”
– Meena Das
Episode #127
Overview
In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast…
Through her own experiences of feeling powerless and vulnerable when in the data of powerful organizations, Meena Das found an unexpected passion for exploring the importance of data transparency and ethics. Fueled by her commitment to data equity, Meena has dedicated much of her career to helping others understand the need for more human approaches to data.
Meena is a data consultant and workshop facilitator specializing in ethical data practices. Meena’s experience as a first-generation immigrant from India has informed her passion for promoting transparency and ethics in data-driven initiatives within the nonprofit sector. With over 15 years of experience in technology and nonprofit industries, Meena has developed a unique approach that encourages organizations to be more intentional, purpose-driven, and conscious in their use of data science and AI. Her workshops cover a range of topics, including data equity and centering humans in algorithms.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- Introducing Meena Das
- Centering Equity in Data Collection
- Intentionality around Data Collection
- Living in Data and Pursuing Data Equity
- Starting the Journey to Intentional Data Collection
- Exploring Your Feelings About Data
- Building Data Values Into Strategic Planning
- Defining Data Hygiene with Purpose
- Avoiding Traps When Collecting Social Identity Data
- Making Communities Feel Heard
- Avoiding Alienation and Building Trust through Intentional Data Collection
- Donor Personas and Data Equity
- Using One Data Point Transparently
- Overcoming Fear of Data
- Connecting with Meena
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Many thanks to our sponsor, Keela for making this episode possible. Our friends at Keela offer nonprofits like yours comprehensive fundraising and donor management software, equipped with powerful tools to expand your reach, increase fundraising revenue, and foster a dedicated community of supporters. Want a user-friendly platform that provides actionable data? Look no further than Keela. Check out Keela at keela.co/mallory.
- If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.
- If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point
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TIPS AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT TODAY
- Reflect on your relationship with data and explore your feelings around it, similar to Meena's example with her relationship with money.
- Consider the human experience when collecting data, focusing on transparency, ethics, and trust.
- Be intentional with data collection by considering the purpose behind it and how it will be used.
- Strive for data equity by being conscious of the questions being asked and the reasons behind them when collecting data.
- Understand the power of data and its potential impact on individuals and communities.
- Practice data hygiene by regularly updating and maintaining the accuracy of the data you collect.
- Be open to change and improvement in your data collection methods, even if it means revisiting past data.
- Seek guidance from experts like Meena Das to help you navigate the complexities of data equity and data hygiene.
FAVORITE QUOTES
- "Data has a lot of power, and equity seems to be like a broad word that we feel like, oh, I don't have a relationship with that word, but we really do." - Meena Das
- "It's super easy to create a seven question survey and send it out and then hope that I get an amazing response rate. But there goes a lot of things around it that makes it equitable." - Meena Das
- "Being collected in the data in powerful databases, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have the power to help your situation. You still can feel vulnerable. You still can feel powerless." - Meena Das
- "It could be really overwhelming when you are starting to all of a sudden see that, oh, I had this relation actually, I always had this relationship with data, and now I'm being asked to own this relationship." - Meena Das
- "Start with why, what are you going to be doing with those things?" - Meena Das
- "If you have made a seven page Excel spreadsheet, which is super complicated, super nuanced, it could be gaining 100 on 100 on some standard of best practices. But if it is not sustainable for you, if it is not allowing you to do your best work, but instead adding more complexity, it's not helping you." - Meena Das
- "It has to have a purpose. The hygiene has to have a purpose. You need to be able to visualize what are the outcomes you want to achieve when you have gotten your clean data in front of you." - Meena Das
- "It has to begin with what are the kind of actions you want to take from the report. Not just looking at the data, but what are the kind of things you want to do, why you want to do." - Meena Das
- "Don't be afraid of data collection and intentional data collection. You just need to take the first step and then you are going to iteratively learn one step after the other on how you can be doing good with data." - Meena Das
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Get to know Meena Das:
Meena Das (she/her/hers) is the founder, consultant, and facilitator at her practices NamasteData and Data Is For Everyone. NamasteData is focused on advancing data equity for nonprofits and social impact agencies. Meena specializes in designing and teaching equitable research tools and analyzing engagement. She leads her work with love for the community, respect for her lived experiences and knowledge from decade plus experience of working with data. She supports nonprofits in 3 core areas: data collection assessments, community surveys, and, staff workshops on improving data equity (through data collection, visualization, human-centric algorithms etc.)
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I teach nonprofit fundraisers to bring in more gifts from the RIGHT donors… so they can stop hounding people for money. Fundraising doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.
- CEO & Creator of the Power Partners FormulaTM
- Disruptor in the funding sector, changing lives everyday
- Relentlessly committed to the movement of money into the nonprofit sector
- Focused on win-win partnerships that allow fundraisers to be authentic and empowered in their work
- Over 15 years working in nonprofits (managing director and ED of multiple fast-growth organizations)
MALLORY ERICKSON
