Name
Data for Good – Leveraging Data for Social Good Across Canada
Date & Time
Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 12:45 PM - 1:05 PM
Geoff Zakaib
Description

There has been a massive growth in the availability of data and new technologies have been developed for sophisticated data analytics and visualization. But the power of data is not available to all. Nonprofit organizations that are doing important work for social good often lack the skills and resources to effectively collect, understand and use data for better decision-making. A movement is growing worldwide that bridges this gap by bringing together skilled data scientists and analysts working directly with social sector organizations through a comprehensive, collaborative approach that leads to shared insights, greater understanding, and positive action through "data in the service of humanity". This presentation will highlight how Data for Good is engaged with nonprofit organizations across Canada to enhance their social impact through data. Data for Good is a Canadian not-for-profit organization with nine chapters that provides opportunities for members to volunteer their technical skills. Data for Good works with organizations in the nonprofit / social sector in a couple of ways: Datathons are weekend events that involve a large number of volunteers focusing on analytics & visualizations with organizations that have a significant amount of data and are relatively advanced in their data practices. Data Corps is a program of smaller scale projects of variable length where a group of Data Ambassadors will work with organizations that need help with data fundamentals at any stage of the Data Lifecycle. Meetup presentations are held every month where speakers from various sectors present on topics related to data, technology and nonprofits.

Session Type
Breakout session 4