Supporting Staff Engagement in Data Work

Agenda:

What do we hear and see with staff and data work?

·       Opportunities to complete the data life cycle?

o   Staff need to be included in most phases of the data life cycle to buy-in to it

o   Returning the data to staff

o   Protecting the data

·       Opportunities to link data to daily questions

o   Are there questions your staff ask that could be answered with data?

o   Do your staff make decisions that could be better informed with more information?

·       Opportunities for data-informed impact

o   Can leadership share with staff at the time they used data to support or make a decision?

o   Can you ask staff their hunches?

  • What do you think is causing this phenomenon?

  • Why do you think we aren’t reaching.. X

·       Opportunities to make data-approachable

o   Rewrite data: “Program retention rate fell 10%,” say “Fewer people are sticking with us—any idea why?”

o   “We’ve seen more survivors under 25. Is that what you’re seeing too?”

 TOOLKIT: Practical Staff Activities to Build a Data-Informed Culture

This toolkit provides concrete, low-barrier activities nonprofit leaders can use to help staff feel confident using data. These activities promote hands-on learning, reflection, and improvement across all types of nonprofit work.

✏️ Activity 1: Sticky Note Data Walk

Goal: Visualize what staff already know and what they wish they knew.

Setup: Hang 3–5 flip chart pages around the room with the following prompts:

  • What do we know about the people we serve?

  • What’s working well in our program?

  • What challenges do we keep seeing?

  • What do we wish we could know?

Instructions:

  1. Give each staff member sticky notes to answer the prompts anonymously.

  2. Do a walk-around and group common ideas.

  3. Facilitate a discussion on surprises, gaps, or opportunities.

  4. Can you prove what is working well, what challenges you see, and is there a data gap in what you wish you knew?

✅ Activity 2: Mini-Metrics Challenge

Goal: Help staff track one useful metric over a short period.

Instructions:

  1. Each staff member or team selects a metric they want to understand better.

    • Pantry: Number of people need milk each day.

    • Transportation: Missed pickups by time of day.

    • MAT: % of participants who attended all sessions.

  2. Track it for 1–2 weeks using a whiteboard, notebook, or form.

  3. Reflect: What did we learn? What would we do differently?

Emphasis: No judgment, just learning.

📸 Activity 3: Before and After Storyboard

Goal: Combine storytelling and data to show impact.

Instructions:

  1. Staff choose a moment when their work makes a difference.

  2. Fill in the storyboard:

    • Before: What was happening?

    • Action: What did we do?

    • After: What changed?

    • Evidence: How do we know?

  3. Optional: Draw it out or present to team.

 Activity 4: Client Journey Mapping

Goal: Understand where data fits into the client experience.

Instructions:

  1. On a whiteboard or large paper, draw the stages of a typical client journey (e.g., intake → service → follow-up).

  2. At each stage, ask:

    • What data do we collect?

    • What do we wish we collected?

    • Where are the pain points?

  3. Circle areas where better data could improve the experience.

✉️ Activity 5: Survey Swap

Goal: Improve client feedback tools.

Instructions:

  1. Ask staff to bring one survey or intake form they use.

  2. In pairs, swap and answer:

    • Is this clear?

    • Would a client want to answer this?

    • What will we do with the answers?

  3. Edit or rewrite one question together.

Outcome: Better-designed, staff-owned tools.

📆 Activity 6: Five-Minute Data Huddle

Goal: Normalize regular, low-pressure data discussions.

Instructions:

  1. Choose one small data point to share at a team meeting (e.g., client no-shows, calls logged, items distributed).

  2. Ask:

    • What stands out?

    • What do we think caused this?

    • What could we try differently?

Tip: Keep it short. Encourage honest reflection.

🔧 Activity 7: Fix This Form

Goal: Improve daily tools while building staff voice.

Instructions:

  1. Bring one intake or service form staff use regularly.

  2. In small groups, ask:

    • What’s confusing or unnecessary?

    • What do we never use?

    • What do we need but don’t ask?

  3. Sketch an improved version together.

  4. Implement a few changes and recognize the team’s input.

Final Tip

None of these activities require perfect data or advanced tools. They build comfort, curiosity, and culture. Start with one, listen closely, and celebrate the insights your team already holds.

Let your staff know: Data isn't about tracking them. It's about equipping them.