Philadelphia, PA, September 13, 2018 – A distinguished panel of Philadelphia nonprofit leaders discussed the challenges they face in using data intelligence to make better-informed decisions that improve their impact and increase their sustainability at an event hosted by ITData at The Union League of Philadelphia.
Panel members were Vik Dewan, President & CEO, Philadelphia Zoo; Dawn Holden-Wood, CEO, Turning Points for Children; and Sara McCullough, VP of Impact, United Way Philadelphia & Southern NJ. More than 130 nonprofit leaders listened and asked questions during the event, led by moderator Richard Binswanger.
5 Critical Ideas Were Raised:

  1. Nonprofit organizations aspire to not only deliver services but also be catalysts for change in their communities, yet they realize achieving that larger goal will require building coalitions.
  2. Leaders in nonprofit organizations are inundated with data, but challenged to derive meaningful, actionable insights that result in improved outcomes.
  3. Rather than relying on the same funders year after year, nonprofits need to figure out how to tap previously untapped resources by addressing the factors that make Philadelphia 43rd among the 50 largest US cities in donor contributions, and the reasons that billions in Donor Advised Funds are not being deployed.
  4. To attract a new generation of donors focused on demonstrable outcomes, nonprofit organizational culture must change to embrace the risk inherent in launching new programs that require a multi-year donor commitment, while eliminating programs that no longer work.
  5. With Federal and State government dollars declining, nonprofits need to involve the business community in addressing Philadelphia’s 25% poverty rate, the highest among the 10 most populous US cities.

ITData has been a trusted technology advisor and service provider to Philadelphia area clients for over 20 years. The firm delivers high value, cost-effective services with a local face. ITData invests time in the face-to-face interactions that spark innovation and creative solutions.